One Witch at a Time

Gr 4–6—When young Susanna Louisa foolishly sells Rudi's cow for some magic beans, anyone can see it's a bad trade. So he quickly tries to make amends by tracking the buyer down before she lays claim to the cow, only to find she has vanished. After consulting his beloved Oma, Rudi is instructed to seek out the Brixen Witch, their village's formidable and silent guardian. Glad for the social call, just not at the expense of his own error, Rudi visits the strange old woman in her isolated mountain home, taking Susanna Louisa along for company. Magic must not cross borders in this enchanted world, so the pair is sent to return the beans to the kingdom of Petz before the sorcerer Giant notices them gone. Getting there is simple enough after a magic bean provides a shortcut, but returning home proves challenging due to the nasty warlord's enchantment preventing anyone or thing from leaving his realm. This companion to The Brixen Witch (S. & S., 2013) retells the Jack story with an interesting twist. This is a tale of an oppressed people wherein a brave trio of youngsters overcomes an unfair tyrant, who turns out to be just a man after all. Readers unfamiliar with the first book can quickly immerse themselves in this adventure, as it reads very well on its own. DeKeyser creates an interesting world where steadfast rules must be obeyed so as not to upset the precarious balance between the magical and the ordinary. A clever blend of folkloric elements with fast-paced action.—Rebecca Gueorguiev, New York Public Library