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Witchs Tears
A strange woman appears on Theo and Dodie's doorstep making Theo very uneasy, and this is not helped by the fact his father has not come home. Theo is told that when a witch cries her tears turn to crystal - he wonders if Mrs Scarum's tears will make things better.
- GenresChildrens
Paperback
First published March 18, 1996
2 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Jenny Nimmo
136 books963 followersJenny Nimmo was born in Windsor, Berkshire, England and educated at boarding schools in Kent and Surrey from the age of six until the age of sixteen, when she ran away from school to become a drama student/assistant stage manager with Theater South East. She graduated and acted in repertory theater in various towns and cities: Eastbourne, Tunbridge Wells, Brighton, Hastings, and Bexhill.
She left Britain to teach English to three Italian boys in Almafi, Italy. On her return, she joined the BBC, first as a picture researcher, then as an assistant floor manager, studio manager (news) then finally a director/adaptor with Jackanory (a BBC storytelling program for children). She left BBC to marry a Welsh artist David Wynn Millward and went to live in Wales in her husband's family home. They live in a very old converted watermill, and the river is constantly threatening to break in, as it has done several times in the past, most dramatically on her youngest child's first birthday. During the summer they run a residential school of art, and she has to move her office, put down tools (type-writer and pencil, and don an apron and cook! They have three grown-up children, Myfawny, Ianto, and Gwenwyfar.
She left Britain to teach English to three Italian boys in Almafi, Italy. On her return, she joined the BBC, first as a picture researcher, then as an assistant floor manager, studio manager (news) then finally a director/adaptor with Jackanory (a BBC storytelling program for children). She left BBC to marry a Welsh artist David Wynn Millward and went to live in Wales in her husband's family home. They live in a very old converted watermill, and the river is constantly threatening to break in, as it has done several times in the past, most dramatically on her youngest child's first birthday. During the summer they run a residential school of art, and she has to move her office, put down tools (type-writer and pencil, and don an apron and cook! They have three grown-up children, Myfawny, Ianto, and Gwenwyfar.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 24, 2010
Reason for Reading: Specifically I am collecting this publisher's list under the title of "First Modern Classics" aimed at younger readers originating from the UK house. The titles on this list, which started in 2009, all by British authors, are a unique selection for North American readers, though a few international classics are included. I knew nothing of this author or title.
This book is certainly aimed at the younger ages, though it may prove frightening or tense for some as the father is the one in peril from a real life situation, being lost on the roads on the way home in a snow storm. We never experience this from the father's point of view though and otherwise the story is light-hearted with the family being visited by a good witch, though they don't know it. A cute story, short and easy to read with lots of fantasy elements and a heart warming ending. I wonder at the inclusion of this title in this publisher's series though as the other books I've read have been much more outstanding. Still worth the read, especially for the younger set and those looking for a "good witch" story.
Finally, an aspect of the "First Modern Classics" series I really like is first at the beginning there is a short paragraph by a famous author called "Why You'll Love this Book" which Lynne Reid Banks provides in this instance. Then at the back there is "More Than a Story" section with its own Table of Contents. This one includes lots of riddles and several recipes relevant to the title. Also included is a list of signs to look for in a witch from the old puritanical days, a portion of Shakespeare's Macbeth's witches' scene "double, double, toil and trouble..." and a witches from history section that includes, among others, both Baba Yaga and Anne Boleyn (remember that 6th finger!). A quick, cute read.
This book is certainly aimed at the younger ages, though it may prove frightening or tense for some as the father is the one in peril from a real life situation, being lost on the roads on the way home in a snow storm. We never experience this from the father's point of view though and otherwise the story is light-hearted with the family being visited by a good witch, though they don't know it. A cute story, short and easy to read with lots of fantasy elements and a heart warming ending. I wonder at the inclusion of this title in this publisher's series though as the other books I've read have been much more outstanding. Still worth the read, especially for the younger set and those looking for a "good witch" story.
Finally, an aspect of the "First Modern Classics" series I really like is first at the beginning there is a short paragraph by a famous author called "Why You'll Love this Book" which Lynne Reid Banks provides in this instance. Then at the back there is "More Than a Story" section with its own Table of Contents. This one includes lots of riddles and several recipes relevant to the title. Also included is a list of signs to look for in a witch from the old puritanical days, a portion of Shakespeare's Macbeth's witches' scene "double, double, toil and trouble..." and a witches from history section that includes, among others, both Baba Yaga and Anne Boleyn (remember that 6th finger!). A quick, cute read.
March 5, 2020
What I really liked about this book is that it didn’t answer all of the questions.
I read it with a year 7 class: 11-12 year olds. They feigned disinterest at first (and it is a slow starter) but were hooked by the end. And when it ended they were asking about the dad, the clocks, the tears, the cat etc. They thought that they knew, but they weren’t certain.
What a wonderful way to end a little throwaway story like this - with questions and memories that may last their whole lives.
I read it with a year 7 class: 11-12 year olds. They feigned disinterest at first (and it is a slow starter) but were hooked by the end. And when it ended they were asking about the dad, the clocks, the tears, the cat etc. They thought that they knew, but they weren’t certain.
What a wonderful way to end a little throwaway story like this - with questions and memories that may last their whole lives.
August 15, 2019
Very easy to read and quick book, a nice little fiction book to read!
March 18, 2021
A simple read, while waiting for my students to finish their work. It's rather engaging, and one of the lesson that we can learn is that we should not judge someone without checking or finding out more.
November 6, 2013
Having read some time ago to a class of seven year olds (the book is marketed at those aged seven to nine) who were totally captivated by the story I re-read it thinking it a perfect Halloween read for younger readers.
The story of what happens the stormy night Mrs Scarum turns up, the clocks in the Blossom household lose their rhythm and Mr Blossom fails to telephone home. This isn't your usual take on the whole witch myth in that Mrs Scarum is hardly your average witch if indeed she is a witch at all. And its this not knowing whether she is or isn't that is part of the books overall charm.
A refreshing take on an old genre. As an adult I enjoyed the story which I thought had a wide scope for children to use their imaginations, for them to make up their own minds. What I wasn't so keen on was the illustrations which was a shame given how appealing I found the front cover.
Copyright: Tracy Terry @ Pen and Paper.
The story of what happens the stormy night Mrs Scarum turns up, the clocks in the Blossom household lose their rhythm and Mr Blossom fails to telephone home. This isn't your usual take on the whole witch myth in that Mrs Scarum is hardly your average witch if indeed she is a witch at all. And its this not knowing whether she is or isn't that is part of the books overall charm.
A refreshing take on an old genre. As an adult I enjoyed the story which I thought had a wide scope for children to use their imaginations, for them to make up their own minds. What I wasn't so keen on was the illustrations which was a shame given how appealing I found the front cover.
Copyright: Tracy Terry @ Pen and Paper.
April 2, 2015
I read this book this weekend to my children. They enjoyed listening to it, but were not blown away by it. Having said this, for a book that early readers could read to themselves it had a great storyline in comparison to most books on the market for 5 and 6 year olds.
March 29, 2014
This is a really lovely story. I read it to the kidlet and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. :)
July 14, 2015
Good witches are truly one-of-a-kind.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews