Children's Books discussion

Based on your votes of favorite teacher read out loud poll, we will be reading The Witches by Roald Dahl. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Yay! I've been looking for an excuse to get to The Witches. :)

Jennifer wrote: "Yay! I've been looking for an excuse to get to The Witches. :)"

Me too!!! I've only seen the movie years and years ago!

I'm looking forward to this read. A little warm up for Halloween!
;-p

I just picked this up from the library and my daughter and I are going to do this one together. Can't wait!

I loved this as a boy, such a great book!

J.C. wrote: "I loved this as a boy, such a great book!"

J.C. wrote: "I loved this as a boy, such a great book!"

Jasmine wrote: "Based on your votes of favorite teacher read out loud poll, we will be reading The Witches by Roald Dahl. We look forward to hearing your thoughts."

I look forward to re reading this favorite book of my kids.

The Witches is my favorite Dahl book. I have been a great fan of all things witch since Margaret Hamilton told Judy Garland that she'd get her and her little dog, too. Loved Looney Tunes Witch Hazel, loved the witch in Little Lulu comics, love fairy tale witches. Have even invented benign befuddled witches of my own. So it's no great surprise that I love this story. Love our unnamed hero's Grandmamma smoking her cigars. And especially love her matter of fact acceptance of her grandson as a permanent mouse at the end. And of course I love the perfect marriage of illustrator Quentin Blake and writer Roald Dahl.

I'm not sure if this is where we are discussing the book or not. But this was the only thread I could find, so I'm hoping this is it.

I just finished the book yesterday. I can see why it's a favorite for teachers. Right in the beginning of the book it's implied that your teacher may be a witch. If I was a teacher, I would probably enjoy reading the book aloud too.

It was a fun read. There was plenty of word play, the illustrations were great. I was hoping to read this book to my daughter, but she wasn't quite ready for it. She thought it was too creepy right away. We did watch the movie, but, the endings are very different. I preferred the book ending, it's a bit darker, more in keeping with the rest of the book.

I'm glad I finally got to read it, been wanting to read it for awhile.

I finished it today and wasn't disappointed. It is dark, and full of imagery. I loved the bad witches. In his books he never fails to make the bad - badder and the wicked become the worlds most wicked. I remember wondering if he was tempted to make Grandma a white witch but this is Roald Dahl and he took the road least travelled, which is why I would give it 41/2 stars.

I just got a copy of the book on Friday, so it will be a bit of time before I get around to reading it (other books on the go and I have to say that the title does not really interest me all that much, but I am willing to give it a try).

Maria wrote: "I finished it today and wasn't disappointed. It is dark, and full of imagery. I loved the bad witches. In his books he never fails to make the bad - badder and the wicked become the worlds most wic..."

Too bad there are mostly witches and not both witches and warlocks (sometimes it does seem that Dahl has a streak of misogyny in him, not enough for me to not enjoy his writing, but enough to make me want to think a bit). And his anti-Semitism really does grate although I do not think this ever comes out in his books (but as someone of German origin, it makes me very uncomfortable and has certainly made me hesitate reading more of his novels).

I was glad I read this one, I some how missed as a child and caught the movie. I would of enjoyed the book a bit more as a child but I did think it was a delightful novel. I especially enjoyed the grandmother who allowed her grandson to be the hero.