Devil's Donkey

Coven Tree

by Bill Brittain

Dan'l Pitt doesn't believe in magic until he comes up against Old Magda the witch.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Juvenile

120 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

William E. Brittain was an American writer. He is best known for work set in the fictional New England village of Coven Tree, including The Wish Giver, a Newbery Honor Book.
Brittain was born in Rochester, New York. He decided he wanted to be a 5th-grade teacher, and in addition to teaching, used to read stories in mystery magazines. After some time, he decided he could do as good a job at writing as some of the authors he read; he got coaching on writing from Frederic Dannay of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine (in which, along with Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, most of his mystery stories were published). He wrote two serials from 1964 to 1983, as well as other stories, before moving on to the children's books for which he is better known.
Brittain is also the author of the popular book All the Money in the World, which was adapted as a 1983 movie.

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have been ridiculously scared of this when I was a kid! Witches, devils, the inability to communicate - that would've done me in. But I bet there are a ton of kids out there now that will LOVE this. The writing is very basic, as would be expected, but the story continues moving along at a good pace to keep you interested. Of course there's a happy ending but otherwise it's dark and creepy.

[Kimber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember finding this book when I was elementary school. I absolutely loved. I would hid under the stairs where it was quiet and read it. It was the start of my love for dark thrillers.

[Rodolfo D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably the least impressive of the Coven Tree series (I've yet to read Professor Popkin's Prodigious Polish), but still filled with devilish detail and logic, and with the type of imagination that made Dr. Dredd's and the Wish Giver so appealing.

[Aaron Mays · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. The first in the Coven Tree series. It really sets the tone for how creepy things are in Coven Tree. I’ve read The Wish Giver several times and had never read this and I’m very happy I did. Now it’s time for Dr. Dress’s Wagon of Wonders. I highly recommend this to anyone with an imagination and is not a stick in the mud.

[Beth Grenfell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in the 3rd grade and found it fascinating. I can't really remember the details, but do remember sitting in my closet with it because it was the only place where I could get quiet.I think it was the first book I ever had the patience to actually finish.

[Kyle Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this in the 4th or 5th grade. I enjoyed it back then.

[Michelle]

Listed as Q3 = A good story with some faults, P3 = A booktalk on this title will excite most people’s interest

[Hilarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun to read this book to my children. It was one of my favorites as a kid. They seemed every bit as engrossed as I was a child when I read it for the first time.