The Witches of Dredmoore Hollow by Riford McKenzie

Reviewed by Jennifer

Ratings

Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content

Guide to Rating System

LANGUAGE

VIOLENCE

SEXUAL CONTENT

ADULT THEMES

Ratings Explanation

Language: 1 instance of profanity

Violence: a girl attacks a boy, hits and kicks him and puts him in a strangle hold. Two witches try to kill their mother with magic spells.

Adult Themes: I don’t necessarily think that magic is an adult theme, but I will mention a couple of things here. In their spells and incantations, the witches use skulls, bones, toads, spiders and snakes. They turn people into stone, turn a man into a turtle and a dog into a snake. A few ghosts appear.

Synopsis

Set in 1927, Elijah and his parents live in Dredmoore Hollow on an old farm that has been in his Mama’s family “practically since the pilgrims.”  As far as Elijah knows, his Mama doesn’t have any family except Grandma Ester, who travels by hot air balloon, so when two strange women show up announcing themselves as his aunts, he is skeptical. Elijah is easily spooked and, by his own admission, lily-livered, but all of the strange occurrences that coincide with the arrival of Aunt Serena and Aunt Agnes cannot be blamed on Elijah’s overactive imagination.

When Elijah’s parents unexpectedly leave town, he has no choice but to go the Moaning Marsh with his aunts and stay at their home until his parents come for him.  Elijah learns that his mother has been keeping a dark family secret from him, but he can’t quite figure out what it is. His aunts talk about the “family gift” and they are exceptionally interested in his chin. What could possibly be going on? It is up to Elijah to find out and rescue his missing parents.

A very entertaining read, The Witches of Dredmoore Hollow kept me anxiously turning pages. The story is chilling enough to keep kids on edge, but it won’t scare the daylights out of them. The creepiness and humor will strike a perfect balance for most young readers.

©2009 The Literate Mother