The Witch's Boy by Barnhill, Kelly

"This spellbinding fantasy begs for a cozy chair and several hours of uninterrupted reading time." --The Washington Post

When Ned and his identical twin brother tumble from their raft into a raging river, only Ned survives. Villagers are convinced the wrong boy lived. Across the forest that borders Ned's village, Áine, the daughter of the Bandit King, is haunted by her mother's last words: "The wrong boy will save your life, and you will save his." When the Bandit King comes to steal the magic Ned's mother, a witch, is meant to protect, Áine and Ned meet. Can they trust each other long enough to cross a dangerous enchanted forest and stop the war about to boil over between their two kingdoms?

"Barnhill is a fantasist on the order of Neil Gaiman." --Minneapolis Star Tribune

"[The Witch's Boy] should open young readers' eyes to something that is all around them in the very world we live in: the magic of words." --The New York Times

"This is a book to treasure." --Nerdy Book Club

A Washington Post Best Book of 2014
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2014
A Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of 2014
A Chicago Public Library "Best of the Best" 2014


Author: Kelly Barnhill
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Published: 09/15/2015
Pages: 400
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.68lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.40w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9781616205485
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.7
Point Value: 13
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 168165 / Witch's Boy

About the Author

Kelly Barnhill lives in Minnesota with her husband and three children. She is the author of six novels, including The Girl Who Drank the Moon, winner of the 2017 John Newbery Medal. She is also the winner of the World Fantasy Award and has been a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award, a Nebula Award, and the PEN/USA literary prize. Visit her online at kellybarnhill.com or on Twitter: @kellybarnhill.