Vivian Vande Velde
Author of Books for Young People
Review
"It will fulfill a lot of wishes."
—Kirkus Reviews
Witch's Wishes
Ages: 7-10 years
Publisher: Holiday House
Status: This book is out of print and is not available, even as an e-book. It can be found–if at all–in libraries or used book stores.
Book Description:
On Halloween, six-year-old Sarah encounters a witch who repays her kindness by making her magic wand real for the night, resulting in a series of absurd and chaotic wishes come true that the witch has to fix.
Where do you GET those ideas?
I started with the idea of wishes going awry--of somebody making a whole bunch of wishes without realizing that they were coming true. The witch in this story is thoroughly modern--she wears a Liz Claiborne dress, drives a powder blue minivan, and gets absolutely no respect from her ill-tempered broom--and she is a good-hearted sort. She just doesn't think things out very well.
I know a lot of people lately complain about Halloween, but I like the idea of dressing up and pretending.
More Stuff
Barnes and Noble (Greece, NY) Halloween party to celebrate publication of Witch's Wishes.
(VVV and B&N witches, Rebecca and Rebecca)
Excerpt
She knew she should take her car, a powder blue minivan, but it was almost out of gas, and she would lose more time going to the gas station. Or she could walk, at least to the supermarket. Witches have a rule not to ride their broomsticks till an hour past sunset to lessen the chances of being seen. And, in case she could have forgotten, her broom reminded her: "Not dark enough for flying."
But she was running so late she convinced herself that no one would see her.
And that was how the old witch came to almost collide with the Channel 12 air traffic report helicopter.