I have a confession to make. I’m not a huge fan of Halloween. I know. That’s not always the most popular thing to admit in October. And I’m very much aware of the disappointment this brings to my youngest children! But I just don’t like anything creepy, spooky or scary. Skeletons? Nope. Haunted Houses? Nope. Spiders? Nope. (Strange fact about me…fake spiders actually freak me out more than real spiders!)
The one and only thing I do love about Halloween, however, is everything WITCHES!!
When my children were young, my mom had the best Halloween tradition. Before the kids headed out trick-or-treating, she’d have us all over to her house for soup, donuts and, most importantly, Witches Brew. She would turn her storage room into a proper witch’s lair – decorated with bats, cobwebs and spooky music playing in the background. In the middle of the room was a hanging black cauldron. Dressed as the fanciest witch in all the land, my mom would solemnly lead the kids through the mixing of the Witches Brew. When it was complete with all the witchy ingredients and properly smoking, only the bravest young witches and warlocks would dare drink it.
And so, each October, I decorate my house with witches, watch witchy movies and read witchy books. (And, in the meantime, try to ignore all the other spooky things about Halloween!) To me, witches and their stories are fun and imaginative – not scary and creepy.
If you are looking for some fun witchy reads this month – here are some of my favorite witch stories for all ages!
Happy Witchy Reading!!
WITCHY PICTURE BOOKS
“Room on the Broom” is by far my children’s favorite Halloween picture book. If you haven’t read it to the littles in your life yet, you need to. My copy of the book is worn out and my littles aren’t so little anymore – but I’m pretty sure I still have this whole book memorized and could quote it to you at will!
Summary…. “The witch and her cat couldn’t be happier, flying through the sky on their broomstick – until the witch drops her hat, then her bow, then her wand. Luckily, three helpful animals find the missing items and all they want in return is a ride on the broomstick. But is there room on the broom for so many new friends?”
If there is one book series that defines my childhood, this would be it. I discovered the “Dorrie the Witch” books in kindergarten and proceeded to bring them home on library day – one by one, week after week for years! My mom must have gotten tired of them showing up in my backpack over and over, but I was obsessed! I dressed up as Dorrie multiple times for Halloween and I remember being very upset when someone would tell me I was a cute witch. I’d proudly proclaim that I wasn’t just any witch. I was Dorrie, of course! And then show them my mismatched socks. (You see, Dorrie’s socks NEVER matched!)
These fantastic books weren’t available until recently. Now you can get them on Amazon and it makes me so very happy!
Summary… “Dorrie is a witch. A little witch. Her hat is always on crooked and her stockings never match.” Thus begins every Dorrie book! Dorrie lives with her mother, cook and her cat named Gink. In each book cute, mischievous Dorrie finds herself in trouble, learns a lesson and often saves the day!
WITCHY MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS
A few years ago, I was reading “The Girl Who Drank the Moon” for my book club. I remember telling my youngest daughter a little bit about the plot and how I was enjoying it so far. The next thing I know she had taken the book right out of my hand, and I didn’t get it back for a few days! It quickly became a story we both loved and still have fun reminiscing about today!
Summary… “Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the Forest, Xan, is kind. Xan rescues the children and delivers them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey. One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must now raise this girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. As Luna’s thirteenth birthday approaches, her magic begins to emerge – with dangerous consequences!”
One of my very best reading friends, who also happens to be an elementary school teacher, recommended “Which Witch” to me years ago. At first, I was hesitant. The publication date said 1979. I wasn’t in the mood to read a “classic!” But I gave it a shot and absolutely loved it! So, trust me, this isn’t a boring, old “classic.” It’s delightfully funny and charming!
Summary… “When Arriman the Awful, the handsome wizard of the North, announces a contest to choose his bride, every witch in town is a flutter. The meanest, most powerful witch will wed the wizard. But Belladonna is dismayed, because as hard as she tries, her spells conjure up begonias and baby birds, and not a single viper or bloodshot eyeball. She just has to do something seriously sinister in time for the contest…!”
If you were traumatized by the story of Hansel and Gretel as a child, (like I was) this retelling will fix all of that trauma for you! “The Gingerbread Witch” is a cute, adventure filled book of friendship, courage and magic. It has some twists and turns that will keep your kiddos guessing and would be a fun book to read together this Halloween season! (Just for your information…a main character is revealed to be gay at the end of the book.)
Summary… “Maud has grown up in a house made of gingerbread, wanting nothing more than to be a witch like Mother Agatha. But just like all of Agatha’s gingerbread creations Maud will turn back into crumbs if anything every happens to Agatha. This seems unthinkable…until Hansel and Gretel, a pair of witch hunters, push Agatha into the cottage’s oven. To save herself and the other creatures, Maud will have to go into the dangerous forest of the Shadelands to find the First Witch’s spellbook. But with witch hunters on her trail and others interested in the book for their own means, can Maud bring back the only mother she’s ever known?”
WITCHY TEEN BOOKS
I never get tired of telling people how much I love “The Bone Witch” series! It’s the story of witches, of course, but with an Asian flair. It’s most definitely one of my favorite young adult series! I do warn people that it isn’t a particularly easy read, and you have to commit to reading all three books in the series. It’s one long story where the alternating timelines don’t come together until the very last book. If you’re willing to make the commitment, however, it will be worth it! So, so good!!
Summary… “When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother, Fox, from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she is a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training. In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha – one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles…and make a powerful choice.”
I describe “When Wishes Bleed” as a mix between “The Selection Series” and the TV show, The Bachelor – but with witches thrown in! I’m not a particular fan of romance, but this book had enough action (and witches) in it to make it fun and enjoyable for me! Plus, it’s a stand-alone book. Sometimes it’s nice to just read one book and not have to commit to an entire series!
Summary… “One Prince. One Witch. One Fate. Sable is a witch and the daughter of Fate. Tauren is a handsome prince. When Sable reads Tauren’s fortune, Fate shows her that his life is in danger, and it is up to her to save him. The prince is due to choose a bride and Sable, being a witch, cannot marry. With his life in danger, the prince extends an invitation to Sable to be one of the women he will choose his bride from. Sable agrees, as it is the only way she can protect him from the danger he faces. Will Sable be able to stop Fate and save the prince?”
The “Beautiful Creatures” book series was published shortly after the whole “Twilight” series phenomenon. It definitely has some “Twilight” vibes, but with witches instead of vampires and about the same amount of teenage love angst! The romance between Lena and Ethan is at the center of the story but, really, I loved the entire cast of characters. There are 4 books to the series, and I will say it all dragged on a bit much for me towards the end. (But I guess I could say the same thing about the “Twilight” series!)
Summary… “Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever. Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them. In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything!”
ONE LAST WITCHY NOVEL
If you are in the mood for more of a historical fiction type of novel, with a little bit of witchyness thrown in, then “The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane” might be the book for you this fall. It’s a beautifully written, dare I say “cozy read” that’s perfect for October. It’s not the action packed, spells and potions type of witchery. It’s more of an intriguing story about a young woman on a quest to find answers to her past – which, of course, involve witches!
Summary… “Harvard graduate student Connie Goodwin needs to spend her summer doing research for her doctoral dissertation. But when her mother asks her to handle the sale of Connie’s grandmother’s abandoned home near Salem, she can’t refuse. As she is drawn deeper into the mysteries of the family house, Connie discovers an ancient key within a seventeenth-century Bible. The key contains a yellowing fragment of parchment with a name written upon it: Deliverance Dane. This discovery launches Connie on a quest – to find out who this woman was and to unearth a rare artifact of singular power; a physick book, its pages a secret repository for lost knowledge. As the pieces of Deliverance’s harrowing story begin to fall into place, Connie is haunted by visions of the long-ago witch trials, and she begins to fear that she is more tied to Salem’s dark past than she could have ever imagined.”
Hopefully this list helps you find a fun, witchy book to read this Halloween season!
What are some of your favorite witch stories? Let me know in the comments below!
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