The Witches of Worm facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | Zilpha Keatley Snyder |
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| Illustrator | Alton Raible |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young adult novel |
| Publisher | Atheneum Books |
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Publication date
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1 June 1972 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 192 pp |
| ISBN | 0-689-30066-2 |
The Witches of Worm is a book written by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. It was published in 1972. This story is for young adults. It won a special award called the Newbery Honor in 1973.
Story Summary
The main character is Jessica, a young girl who feels quite lonely. One day, she finds a tiny, blind kitten. It has very little fur. Jessica decides to name this kitten Worm.
An older neighbor, Mrs. Fortune, helps Jessica take care of Worm. She teaches Jessica how to feed and raise the kitten. Soon, Jessica feels like Worm has a strange power over her. It seems to make her do mean and harmful things. These actions are often aimed at people who have made Jessica upset.
For example, Jessica acts unkindly towards her old friend Brandon. She also behaves badly towards her mother. As Jessica's actions get worse, her mom tries to get her some help. But this only makes Jessica more upset and angry.
Jessica starts to believe that Worm is controlled by witches. She thinks Mrs. Fortune might be one of them. When Jessica finds herself thinking about hurting Mrs. Fortune, she realizes things have gone too far. She decides she needs to free Worm from this strange control.
Jessica tries to break Worm's hold over her. This leads to a dramatic event. It ends with a chase during a big thunderstorm at night. After this, Worm becomes a normal, playful cat. Jessica also makes up with her mother and Brandon. She then realizes that she might have helped herself too, not just Worm.
