The Witch's Boy - Hardcover

Michael-gruber

3.75

1,476 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1416901388 ISBN 13: 9781416901389

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's, Us, 2005

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Lump, the ugliest boy in the world, is abandoned in the forest, where he is found and taken in by a witch. With a bear for a nanny, a genie as a servant and only a cat to talk to, the household is a strange one, but Lump grows up knowing nothing but love. Until one day he has to go out and face the world - and meets rejection at every turn. This is the story of Lump's difficult journey to adulthood, his craving for the magical powers of his mother, and his search for love and acceptance, set against the backdrop of a world full of natural magic in delicate balance, where the slightest disturbance can be catastrophic.

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About the Author:

After an English degree and work as an editor, Michael Gruber studied marine biology, spent time in the Army as a medic, received a Ph.D. for a study of octopus behaviour and was then a chef and a roadie before entering the civil service, a career that took him to Washington. It was there that he began ghost-writing a bestselling series. He has published two novels under his own name, Tropic of Night (03) and Valley of Bones (05). He is married, with three grown-up children and an extremely large dog.

From Booklist:

*Starred Review* Gr. 6-9. From the hypnotic mask on the cover to its perfect fairy-tale ending, this astonishing fantasy compels readers onward. Gruber, the author of several adult thrillers, has done much more than offer a well-structured adventure, full of mystery and magic--though he certainly does all that. He also plumbs the depths of the human heart and lays bare its emotions in a way that causes readers to respond instinctively. The story begins when a witch finds a baby so ugly that the note with it reads, "the devil's child for the devil's wife." The witch has no business with a child, but she fancies it, so she gets a bear to be its nanny and a hideous djinni to tutor it. Then she continues her life in service to her goddess. The more the witch underestimates parental responsibilities, the more hurt and angry the boy, Lump, becomes. Gruber cleverly weaves elements from familiar fairy tales into a saga that moves across forest, earth, and sea. But even more astute is his portrayal of the characters, especially Lump and his mother, who, locked in their own selfishness, must fight through disappointment, hatred, and anger to find forgiving love. This can be read at several levels, but those who plumb the deepest will reap the greatest reward. Ilene Cooper
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