Published by Alfred A. Knopf, 2016
My little cinnamon sugar cider donuts, do I have a treat for you . . .
WILLIAM AND THE WITCH’S RIDDLE written by Shutta Crum and illustrated by Lee Wildish.
From the jacket flap . . .
“William and his little brother, Pinch, have been left alone at their home atop a mountain. When a witch named Morga shows up, William is forced to embark upon a terrifying journey, but he is also offered the possibility to save his family.
“The worst part of the journey is Morga herself. She has three riddles for William to solve, with only the help of an odd fellow who wakes up a different size every day and a tiny yellow dragon who can dream storms into reality.
“Three riddles. Three chances to lift an ancient curse. Three chances to save his family.”
This is a beautifully written middle grade fantasy. You’ll want to gobble it up like trick-or-treat sack of snack size Snickers! But you don’t have to take my word for it . . .
From Kirkus Reviews:
“There is humor, heart-stopping action, magic of many sorts, and tender emotions of sacrifice, love, and loss. Crum draws readers into this evidently white fairy-tale world with detailed, descriptive language and inventive syntax. An exciting, neatly crafted adventure.”
Doesn’t this sound irresistible? A copy of this spellbinding can be yours!
How?
Leave a comment–describe your favorite childhood Halloween costume–at the end of this post by Noon on Monday, October 24, and you will be entered into a drawing for a copy of your very own. No trick – just treat!
October, baptize me with leaves! Swaddle me in corduroy and nurse me with split pea soup. October, tuck tiny candy bars in my pockets and carve my smile into a thousand pumpkins. O autumn! O teakettle! O grace! ~ Rainbow Rowell
Welcome to Frog on a Dime 
I don’t remember my childhood Halloween costumes, but as an adult one costume always comes to mind. A homemade costume. A black bat costume, covering me head to toes, arm span to arm span. Red sequined veins zigzagged through the wings which, when spread, were quite scary. Pointy, bat ears adorned the head covering. I painted my face black. I dressed in this batty costume and, feeling quite proud of my handiwork, headed downstairs to show off. Our dog took one look at me, barred her teeth and growled a sound I’d never heard before. She dared me to take another step. Well, I hiked my bat costume to my knees and got out of there as fast as I could. (Congratulations, again, to Shutta on her newest novel.)
LikeLike
I had a bat costume when I was a kid–definitely my most memorable costume.
Yours sounds amazing, Rachel. What a story!
LikeLike
Sounds wonderful, Vicky! How generous of you!! I would love to add this tale to our school library! My favorite Halloween costumes were both involving my son. One year I tried to make a Robin Hood suit for him to wear, but had heavy green fabric with no stretch for the tunic and hat. It was alright except for the hat. That poor child pulled it on hard to get it onto his head to wear to school! Another year he decided to be the Stanley Cup for Halloween! We stacked bowls and dishes to make the footed portion of the cup, mounted it all on a box with a viewing panel cut out, covered everything in aluminum foil, and he went off to school. It was the perfect costume in the end: people could drop the candy into the bowl on the top of fun his head, or put it into his waiting hands, since we had a pocket on the inside of the box as well!
LikeLike
The Stanley Cup? Such imagination!
LikeLike
How fun! My favorite Halloween costume was when I went as the Statue of Liberty. I agree with the other posters – homemade is the best! This was basically a sheet, a cardboard crown (possibly covered with tin foil) and a flashlight torch (my favorite part). I think i carried a book for the tablet too. Now I’m working on my kids’ costumes, and this year I have a praying mantis and an RV!
LikeLike
A praying mantis and an RV? That’s incredible. Your kids will definitely remember those costumes!
LikeLike
Shutta’s book sounds interesting. My favorite child costume was one I made for my son when he was six months old. It was a lion with a yarn mane. The only problem was the mane was so heavy, my son could barely keep his head up. Oops!
LikeLike
Your son’s costume sounds darling, Suzanne. Happy Halloween to you and your family!
LikeLike
I already have Shutta’s book, so I don’t need to be in the contest. (I’m here to be social.) Probably my best Halloween costume was one I wore as a young adult. I went as a punk rocker. I had long hair and I braided it in tiny braids then let it loose and crinkly. I won a prize at a party because it was so out of character. Little did I realize that decades later, my younger son would be in a punk rock band. His hair looks like that naturally.
LikeLike
Great story–wish I could see you as a punk rocker, Ann!
LikeLike
Enjoyed hearing Shutta talk about her book at the Siena Heights University program.
LikeLike
Shutta is a fun, energetic speaker, isn’t she? Thanks for visiting Frog on a Dime, Sally.
LikeLike
Shutta’s new book looks awesome! We never bought Halloween costumes…so one year (3rd grade, I think), I put on an old jacket and shoes of my dad’s, rubbed dirt on my face, and went to school as a hobo. My mom was horrified!
LikeLike
Aw, Judy the Hobo. I bet you were adorable. 🙂
Happy Halloween to you!
LikeLike
Shutta’s book sounds really fun to read and those reviews are awesome! Congrats to Shutta! Now to my favorite childhood costume–I used to always make my own costumes–my mom never let us buy them. The best one I made was a dog costume–I made floppy dog ears with a headband, a tail (kneesock stuffed with material) and painted black spots on my white sweatshirt and pants. Then, colored the tip of my nose black (washable, not permanent marker) Presto-chango–one dalmation (yes, I was number 102).
LikeLike
Oh, I’d love to see a Danielle the Dalmation!
LikeLike