Here There Be Witches
Grade 4-8?A fine companion volume to Here There Be Dragons (1993) and Here There Be Unicorns (1994, both Harcourt). Seven poems and ten short stories present views of witches that range from humorous to poignant. A boy from a long line of sorcerers completes a routine homework assignment in "When I Grow Up, by Michael Dee." Yolen takes a sly poke at political correctness in "The Passing of the Eye," and brings Baba Yaga into the 20th century in "Boris Chernevsky's Hands." Gleanings from historical accounts serve as the seeds for "The Witch's Ride," which is about a lovely young woman beyond suspicion of witchcraft, and "Witchfinder," which takes a look at different sides of the same story. Some of the pieces have a darker note, such as "Circles," in which a young woman learns the true shape of her power, and "Weird Sisters," a poem about how some evil spells are cast by ordinary human beings. A strong, imaginative sense of story and clear, crisp language are trademarks of Yolen's work, and this collection is no exception. Wilgus's cover is enticing, and his full-page pencil drawings enhance the selections they illustrate.?Donna L. Scanlon, Lancaster County Library, PACopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.