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Legend Hollow: The Witch's Cookbook
Legend Hollow is a middle-grade/YA fantasy series with touches of magical realism and adventure for all readers, especially those ages 10-16. For over thirty years the Rip Van Winkle Bakery and its owner Ms. Hopper, a rumored witch, have been enchanting customers with spell-binding pastries while quietly protecting the town from creatures of legend. Her secret weapon is a cookbook created long ago by famed author Washington Irving. Now the cookbook has gone missing, the bakery has fallen on hard times and darkness has begun to spread.
Elise, who works at the bakery after school, has always doubted Ms. Hopper’s claims about the “magical” cookbook and the existence of mythical folk but she fears for the future of the bakery and enlists her best friend Coop and her little brother Stephen to try and find the missing book. What Elise and the other children don’t know is that there is a kernel of truth in every legend and that sometimes ghosts really do haunt the night and trolls can linger under bridges. Thrust into the unknown on the eve of Halloween they must face the biggest challenge of their young lives to save Ms. Hopper’s bakery, their town, and possibly even themselves.
Elise, who works at the bakery after school, has always doubted Ms. Hopper’s claims about the “magical” cookbook and the existence of mythical folk but she fears for the future of the bakery and enlists her best friend Coop and her little brother Stephen to try and find the missing book. What Elise and the other children don’t know is that there is a kernel of truth in every legend and that sometimes ghosts really do haunt the night and trolls can linger under bridges. Thrust into the unknown on the eve of Halloween they must face the biggest challenge of their young lives to save Ms. Hopper’s bakery, their town, and possibly even themselves.
- GenresMiddle GradeFantasy
195 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 9, 2023
10 people are currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
Taylor T. Pensoneau
1 book2 followersTaylor was born and raised in Illinois, spent the last 23 years in Colorado, and now resides in Florida with his wonderful wife, Pam, and daughters Lana and Elise. He is an avid cyclist, snowboarder, fisherman, IPA enthusiast, and lover of a good story.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 22, 2023
This mystery/fantasy book is perfect for middle-graders looking for a spooky but not scary read! The first book that had me fall in love with reading was a book like this (Bunnicula by James Howe), and when my son was this age, the same was true for him.
Elsie works after school at the Rip Van Winkle bakery, but recently something has been off with both the baked goods and the owner, Ms. Hopper. Although she doesn’t believe in magic, Elsie can’t deny that ever since Washington Irving’s cookbook was stolen, strange things have been occurring. As they embark on a quest to find the cookbook, Elsie, her brother Stephen, and their friend Coop discover the magic that hides just below the surface of their small town and learn that there is a little bit of truth behind every legend.
On the surface, this is a fun read about a town steeped in magic. It is also an excellent entry into the works of Washington Irving and a way to learn about legends in the context of European, Native American, and African history. There is a great discussion about how we call things magic that we don’t understand. I love it when a middle-grade book can spark interest in something deeper within the story.
Personally, this was a fun read because the author and I grew up in the same town, and he took pieces of our town’s history and threaded them through the story. Yes, our school is rumored to be haunted. It was built on a graveyard site; not all of the graves were successfully removed, and the basement furnace rooms were absolutely terrifying.
Elsie works after school at the Rip Van Winkle bakery, but recently something has been off with both the baked goods and the owner, Ms. Hopper. Although she doesn’t believe in magic, Elsie can’t deny that ever since Washington Irving’s cookbook was stolen, strange things have been occurring. As they embark on a quest to find the cookbook, Elsie, her brother Stephen, and their friend Coop discover the magic that hides just below the surface of their small town and learn that there is a little bit of truth behind every legend.
On the surface, this is a fun read about a town steeped in magic. It is also an excellent entry into the works of Washington Irving and a way to learn about legends in the context of European, Native American, and African history. There is a great discussion about how we call things magic that we don’t understand. I love it when a middle-grade book can spark interest in something deeper within the story.
Personally, this was a fun read because the author and I grew up in the same town, and he took pieces of our town’s history and threaded them through the story. Yes, our school is rumored to be haunted. It was built on a graveyard site; not all of the graves were successfully removed, and the basement furnace rooms were absolutely terrifying.
October 4, 2023
This was such a fun read for the spooky season! I loved how it was a nice blend of magic and mystery. The story itself was quite captivating and I loved the adventurous and magical aspects of the story. The author did a good job at bringing in elements from old classic tales and putting a new spin on it. I also appreciated how well written and developed the characters were.
This is the perfect read for fans of middle grade and YA fantasy. I’m definitely looking forwards to reading more in this series!
This is the perfect read for fans of middle grade and YA fantasy. I’m definitely looking forwards to reading more in this series!
August 8, 2024
Such a cute spooky middle grade read!
October 6, 2023
This was such a magical and mystical middle grade fantasy! I loved the storyline and characters of this fun read. The author did a great job at incorporating a classic story into this original tale. Overall this was a great book that I can see many young middle graders enjoying. I look forward to reading more books in this series.
October 6, 2023
This was such a magical and mystical middle grade fantasy! I loved the storyline and characters of this fun read. The author did a great job at incorporating a classic story into this original tale. Overall this was a great book that I can see many young middle graders enjoying. I look forward to reading more books in this series.
October 30, 2023
The Witch's Cookbook
✍️ @legendhollowauthor
I was kindly #gifted this book by the author for an honest review.
Ms Hopper has been the owner of Rip Van winkle Bakery for over 30 years. She protected her town from the creatures of Legend and created mouth watering pastries with her magical cookbook. The cookbook which had been created long ago by the infamous Washington Irving goes missing, the bakery starts to fail and the darkness begins to spread.
Elise has been working with at the bakery after school for a while and has never really believed that it had magical powers. However now that the cookbook has been taken, she is worried for the future of the bakery. She, her best friend Coop and her brother Stephen try and solve the mystery. They quickly find out that magic is lurking much closer than they think.
This is the perfect blend of mystery and magic! The characters are well developed and the story is captivating. A wonderful middle grade book which children will really enjoy – especially in this spooky season!
I look forward to reading the next in the series.
✍️ @legendhollowauthor
I was kindly #gifted this book by the author for an honest review.
Ms Hopper has been the owner of Rip Van winkle Bakery for over 30 years. She protected her town from the creatures of Legend and created mouth watering pastries with her magical cookbook. The cookbook which had been created long ago by the infamous Washington Irving goes missing, the bakery starts to fail and the darkness begins to spread.
Elise has been working with at the bakery after school for a while and has never really believed that it had magical powers. However now that the cookbook has been taken, she is worried for the future of the bakery. She, her best friend Coop and her brother Stephen try and solve the mystery. They quickly find out that magic is lurking much closer than they think.
This is the perfect blend of mystery and magic! The characters are well developed and the story is captivating. A wonderful middle grade book which children will really enjoy – especially in this spooky season!
I look forward to reading the next in the series.
January 10, 2025
I received a copy of this book from the author! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
MG / YA
Fantasy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved this. It’s exactly what I look for in an adventurous autumn read each year.
It’s set on/around Halloween, making it perfect for Spooky Season, and has all of my favorite storytelling elements, with the setting a town or two over from the infamous Sleepy Hollow, a ton of history and literary references, a terrific cast of characters (all quite memorable) and a fun and adventurous plot!
If I had to compare it to anything else, I’d maybe say Hocus Pocus meets The Spiderwick Chronicles — it’s full of witches, ghosts, magic, trolls, goblins, kobolds, and more! It’s also the first in a series that I’ll be continuing!
I will most likely reread this in 2025, just because it's the perfect October read!
MG / YA
Fantasy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved this. It’s exactly what I look for in an adventurous autumn read each year.
It’s set on/around Halloween, making it perfect for Spooky Season, and has all of my favorite storytelling elements, with the setting a town or two over from the infamous Sleepy Hollow, a ton of history and literary references, a terrific cast of characters (all quite memorable) and a fun and adventurous plot!
If I had to compare it to anything else, I’d maybe say Hocus Pocus meets The Spiderwick Chronicles — it’s full of witches, ghosts, magic, trolls, goblins, kobolds, and more! It’s also the first in a series that I’ll be continuing!
I will most likely reread this in 2025, just because it's the perfect October read!
November 29, 2023
Legend Hollow may be for kids ages 10 to 16, but that shouldn't stop adults to check ot out. This book was such a delightful and unique take on a beloved classic. The author Taylor Pensoneau did such an incredible job at mixing magical realism with fast-paced adventure.
Our protagonist, Elise, loves Halloween, and she also loves her after-school job at the famous Rip Van Winkle bakery. Where she helps the owner Ms. Hopper with her famous pastries. She's always given credit to her success to a very special cookbook written by none other than the famed author Washington Irving. Unfortunately, the cookbook is stolen, and everything changes for Elise and Ms. Hopper. Elise will have to trust her instincts to guide into solving this dilemma. The story has such an amazing cast of characters that you'll cheer for them all the way towards the end.
Our protagonist, Elise, loves Halloween, and she also loves her after-school job at the famous Rip Van Winkle bakery. Where she helps the owner Ms. Hopper with her famous pastries. She's always given credit to her success to a very special cookbook written by none other than the famed author Washington Irving. Unfortunately, the cookbook is stolen, and everything changes for Elise and Ms. Hopper. Elise will have to trust her instincts to guide into solving this dilemma. The story has such an amazing cast of characters that you'll cheer for them all the way towards the end.
December 24, 2025
This was the perfect spooky season read! It’s a middle grade Fantasy/Mystery set around Halloween. The autumnal and spooky season vibes were there. The whole town decorates for Halloween.
It felt nostalgic for me too and took me back to my 12-year-old self with the descriptions of the school decorations too. It’s actually set in the 80’s. There was even a haunted basement which ironically my school happened to be rumored to have as well.
It was a lot of fun following along on the kids’ adventure. The main characters were all lovable. I especially liked Ms. Hopper with all her quirks and eccentricities.
I LOVE how The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and D&D are both incorporated into the story. It was very well done and full of surprises. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys a spooky middle grade that isn’t overly scary.
It felt nostalgic for me too and took me back to my 12-year-old self with the descriptions of the school decorations too. It’s actually set in the 80’s. There was even a haunted basement which ironically my school happened to be rumored to have as well.
It was a lot of fun following along on the kids’ adventure. The main characters were all lovable. I especially liked Ms. Hopper with all her quirks and eccentricities.
I LOVE how The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and D&D are both incorporated into the story. It was very well done and full of surprises. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys a spooky middle grade that isn’t overly scary.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews