Roald Dahl's The Witches is one of my favorite books from childhood (and The BFG!). I love that his books are so imaginatively off-kilter; he manages to combine the fantastically impossible with the wise, the humorous, the tragic, and the grotesque. I mean, one of the children gets turned into a chicken, and then her family eats the eggs she lays. Um, that's super gross and demented, but it works in the story. (Other kids are turned into pheasants and killed and eaten by their neighbors. Dang, Roald Dahl.) Plus, this book teaches you how to identify witches, and we all know how important that is, especially at this time of year...
"Come down out of that tree, little boy," she said, "and I shall give you the most exciting present you've ever had." Her voice had a curious rasping quality. It made a sort of metallic sound, as though her throat was full of drawing pins.
Without taking her eyes from my face, she very slowly put one of those gloved hands into her purse and drew out a small green snake. She held it up for me to see. --Roald Dahl
If you loved The Witches, you're probably familiar with Roald Dahl's long list of titles. But allow me to recommend Holes by Louis Sachar, Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, or The Phantom Tollbooth (personal fav) by Norton Juster.
P.S. If you somehow managed to miss it, the movie version of The Witches, starring Anjelica Huston is quite excellent.
1. Climbing trees, by Hannah of You Are Here; 2. Norwegian farmhouse, by Livs Lyst; 3. Treehouse, via F*ck Yeah Treehouses; 4. Conference ballroom, by The Grand Hotel Eastbourne; 5. Eclectic interior, by Hunter Jones; 6. Roasted cauliflower soup, by Traditional Home; 7. Boots, via F*ck Yeah Goths; 8. Ann Demeulemeester Gathered Gloves, via Keep; 9. Black dress, by Shanghai Tang; 10. Mouse in teacup, via Google Images; 11. Sock in progress, by Jojo Kan Sjlav; 12. Sinister potions, by Seeing Things.
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