The Witches

The fiction book The Witches by Roald Dahl is about a small boy who encounters the grand committee of witches, then he and his grandmother have to find a way to stop them from getting rid of all the children of England! There are two main characters in this story, one is a little boy whose name is unknown, so I shall make him go by “The boy.” “The boy” is the narrator of this story, he is very determined and courageous when he puts his mind to his goals ahead. He is very smart in these plans that he has with his grandmother, and he can also find the positive side to everything. “The boy” loves his grandmother tremendously, and could never have thought to live without her. He was even closer to her than his own mother, before the car accident happened that killed his parents. The other main character is the grandmother, whom “The boy” calls “Grandmamma”. “Grandmamma” was confronted by a witch once in her life, and it was not a good experience, with a lost thumb for a souvenir. She is very protective of her grandson, and loves him just as dearly as he loves her. “Grandmamma” also has her saying, ‘Heaven may take my soul, but Norway shall keep my bones.’ Therefore saying that she loves her homeland very much. The main problem is that The Grand High Witch (the leader of all the witches) has formulated a potion that can get rid of all the children in the world by turning them into mice! “The boy” and his grandmamma have to stop them before children of the human population have vanished from the face of the earth! My opinion is that this is another one of the beloved books by Roald Dahl. I still remember when my first grade teacher first read this to me, I was hypnotised by the action in the spells, the love for family, and the wonderful yearning of adventure that all the characters felt! I also like how the author explains in so much detail of all the settings we are being introduced to. Such as the crowded, superior dining room, the filthy, grimy kitchen, and the colored dragon shades. I love how the book just pulls you in, never letting go, until you finish the very last word. -Serena

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