The Witches
by Roald Dahl
Dahl's darkest children's book delivers genuine scares, real laughs, and a bittersweet ending that respects young readers enough to be honest about how the world works.
Kid
74
/ 100
Parent
66
/ 100
Teacher
71
/ 100
Best fit: ages 8-10
Still works: ages 7-12
Our Take
A Whitbread-winning dark fantasy that excels in literary craft and read-aloud power while delivering genuine scares and laughs. Strongest as a reading experience (opening hook, momentum, voice, sensory writing) and classroom tool (read-aloud, mentor text, reluctant reader rescue). Weaker in vocabulary enrichment and real-world content — this is an imaginative literary experience, not an educational one.
✓ Perfect for
- • Children who love scary-but-funny stories
- • Readers who enjoy Roald Dahl's other books
- • Kids ready for stories where the hero wins but at a cost
- • Reluctant readers looking for a gripping plot with illustrations
Book facts
- Format
- chapter book
- ISBN
- 9780224032544
- Illustration
- moderate
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