Witch Catcher
Grade 3-6–As the story launches, 12-year-old Jen and her father are settling into the West Virginia castle they inherited from an eccentric great-uncle. Jen is excited about this new adventure until she meets her father's evil new love interest. Moura, a local antiques dealer, has bewitched Jen's father to gain control of a blown-glass witch catcher inhabited by a certain fairy. Moura and Jen engage in a supernatural tug-of-war as Jen gets drawn into the middle of an age-old battle between fairies and witches. After her cat accidentally releases and befriends the fairy, Kieryn, they face off against Moura and her ilk in a contest to trap the other side forever in the luminous bulbs. Although the story gets off to a slow start, the pace picks up and is sustained with page-turning suspense. Jen makes a brave heroine and a nice foil to Moura's over-the-top evil-stepmother routine. Although some characters are developed more than others, Hahn weaves an engaging story.–Nicki Clausen-Grace, Carillon Elementary School, Oviedo, FLCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.