Whispering to Witches

An encounter with a coven of witches and a conspiracy surrounding an infamous spell are the last things Joe imagines will fill his days and nights during a Christmas visit to his mother and her new family in Canterbury. But mysterious and dangerous adventures are in store for him almost from the moment he boards the train in London. Another in a long line of Harry Potter pretenders, this lightweight fantasy is rescued by superb vocal acrobatics from reader John Curless. His impeccable pacing manages to salvage some awkward transitions in the text, and his remarkable ability to give each character a distinct voice brings even the flattest of them to life. Young listeners who are waiting for year six at Hogwarts will enjoy this, thanks primarily to the talented narrator. S.G. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

Starred review from October 4, 2004
Dale makes a sparkling debut with this sprightly novel introducing 12-year-old Joe Binks who, while traveling by train from London to Canterbury to spend Christmas with his mum and stepfather, inadvertently becomes tangled in a web of dueling witches. First, he disembarks from the train at the wrong stop. Next, a fellow in a "peaked cap" transforms a broomstick into a tricycle that delivers Joe to the headquarters of the Dead-nettle Coven, comprised of a quintet of benign and batty witches. Twiggy, the youngest, befriends Joe, who soon learns about the longstanding competition among covens to find the missing page 513 from a centuries-old definitive book of witchcraft. The convoluted plot features ample corkscrew twists and eccentric characters for whom the author cleverly compounds their identities. Potter fans will appreciate the magical phenomena that Joe encounters, including windsprites, flying creatures who come in and out of view, delivering messages written with invisible witch ink; spectacles with lenses that change colors and look as though they're made of liquid, which render this ink visible to the non-witch eye; and nifty spells and potions a-plenty. Dale nimbly ties together the spidery threads of her story in a beguiling denouement. This cast's amusing antics will keep fantasy fans thoroughly engaged between visits to Hogwarts. Readers will hope that Dale books a return trip to Joe's bewitched world. Ages 8-12.

Starred review from January 10, 2005
Young listeners will be thrilled to know that not everything is as it seems in this nimble recording of Dale's debut novel about a boy who stumbles upon a magical, witch-filled world. When he boards the train from London to Canterbury to spend the Christmas holidays with his mother and stepfather, 12-year-old Joe Binks expects an uneventful trip. But what he finds is far from ordinary. Joe gets off the train at the wrong stop and soon finds himself befriended by a young witch named Twiggy and the members of her slightly misfit coven. Though he eventually makes it to his mother's house, circumstances pull him (and younger half-sister Esme) back to Twiggy and an intriguing competition among covens to find the missing page of an ancient spell book. Curless offers an upbeat reading sustained with notes of suspense and mystery befitting Dale's effervescent fantasy. Kids will be eager to follow the inviting Curless along for all the twists and turns here. Ages 8-12.

February 1, 2005
Gr 5-7 -When his father is called to Scotland on business, Joe's expectation of a boring Christmas holiday with his mum, step dad, and half-sister takes a turn toward the fantastical when he unintentionally becomes involved in a quest to recover the world's most dangerous magic spell -a page stolen from the ancient and infamous "Mabel's Book". With the help of Twiggy, a young member of the disreputable Dead Nettle coven, Joe battles the loathsome Dritch sisters and their evil associates. John Curless's skillful, fully-voiced narration of the book by Anna Dale (Bloomsbury, 2004) is pure auditory delight as he brings to life the many eccentric characters and whimsical touches that make this bewitching tale perfect family listening. -"Cindy Lombardo, Tuscarawas County Public Library, New Philadelphia, OH"

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