The Magic CircleFrom the author of Zel, Stones in Water, and The Prince of the Pond. Deep in the woods lives the old witch called Ugly One. All she wants is to forget—the she was once a loving mother and a healer, blessed and powerful within her magic circle, and not a witch, claimed by the devils. Then one day she hears the footsteps she dreads. Then real voices—children’s voices. The Ugly One longs to take care of sturdy, sensible Gretel and her young brother Hansel. They are such good children, such delicious, beautiful children. But demons’ voices scream in her head: “Eat them!” How can she? . . . How can she not? “A brilliantly conceived and beautifully executed novel.”—School Library Journal, starred review “A work of great strength and powerful emotion, written with immediacy and intensity, filled with beauty and terror and pervading sense of compassion that must touch young and old.”—Lloyd Alexander An ALA Best Book for Young Adults A Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year |
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amethyst Asa and Bala Asa's Astaroth Baal baby Bala's beautiful beet blood bowl breath broom burgermeister burgermeister's cabin candy cheek child cloak damp and dark demons devils door ears Elizabeth Marie Pope emerald endive evil eyes face father feel fire fish head fooled girl gumdrop hair hands heal hear heart hold hot pads incubi inside my head jewels laugh lean look magic circle Margaret Mahy midwife Mother mouth never Otto pain Peter plaice fish pockets pull rage ribbon ring Rosemary Sutcliff runs salamander says Bala says Gretel says Hansel screams shouts skin sleep slime eel smell smile soul speak spider stand stepmother stupid suddenly summon sword tears teeth tell things throat tongue touch Tzipi Ugly Sorceress voice walk West Forest whisper wicked stepmother witch witch-hazel woman woods words WYANDANCH