Took - by Mary Downing Hahn (Paperback)

Dimensions (Overall): 7.7 Inches (H) x 5 Inches (W) x .8 Inches (D)
Weight: .6 Pounds
Number of Pages: 272
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Sub-Genre: Horror
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Clarion Books
Author: Mary Downing Hahn
Age Range: 9-12 Years
Language: English

About the Book

A witch called Old Auntie is lurking near Dan's family's new home. He doesn't believe in her at first, but is forced to accept that she is real and take action when his little sister, Erica, is "took" to become Auntie's slave for the next fifty years.

Book Synopsis

"Folks say Old Auntie takes a girl and keeps her fifty years--then lets her go and takes another one." Thirteen-year-old Daniel Anderson doesn't believe Brody Mason's crazy stories about the ghost witch who lives up on Brewster's Hill with Bloody Bones, her man-eating razorback hog. He figures Brody's probably just trying to scare him since he's the new kid . . . a "stuck-up snot" from Connecticut. But Daniel's seven-year-old sister Erica has become more and more withdrawn, talking to her lookalike doll. When she disappears into the woods one day, he knows something is terribly wrong. Did the witch strike? Has Erica been "took"?

Review Quotes

"Horror fans and readers looking for a good scare will enjoy this creepy tale."
--School Library Journal

"Satisfyingly frightening."
--Publishers Weekly

"Hahn successfully reworks the recipe for those who still enjoy a good scare...a compelling addition to the Hahn collection of ghost stories."
--VOYA

"This creepy tale skillfully weaves in--and honors--the oral tradition of folklore, legends, and ghost stories."
--Horn Book Magazine

"Stalwart young readers who brave Daniel's telling are rewarded with a resolution that blends the mystical with the hopeful and creates community where once only fear and sorrow thrived."
--Booklist

About The Author

Mary Downing Hahn, a former children's librarian, is the award-winning author of many popular ghost stories, including Deep and Dark and Dangerous, The Old Willis Place, and Wait Till Helen Comes, recently adapted for film. She lives in Columbia, Maryland, with her two cats. Visit her website at www.marydowninghahnbooks.com.