Ages 8+1-min guideFantasyHumorSpooky
The Witches
by Roald Dahl
Read togetherA good fit for 8 and up, but it’s one of Dahl’s scariest. Funny and very creepy. The boy’s parents die at the start, and he stays a mouse at the end.
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What it’s about
A boy’s grandmother teaches him that witches are real and hate children. At a hotel, he stumbles into a witch convention and is turned into a mouse.
The ending
What might come up
Scary momentsA lotWitches who want to wipe out children.
Death and lossSomeThe boy’s parents die in a car crash.
Unkind wordsA littleWitches say children smell like dogs’ droppings.
ViolenceSomeA cook cuts off part of the boy’s tail, and the witch-mice are killed.
LanguageNone
RomanceNone
Why kids like it
A mouse boy defeats evil witches.
Free printable quiz
- 1What do witches wear to hide their bald heads?
- 2What does the formula do?
- 3Who helps the boy?
- 4Where is the convention?
Read it, then watch it
Read the book first, then watch it together and talk about what changed.
