Hocus Pocus by A.W. Jantha and Gris Grimly - ADVISABLE

Hocus Pocus by A.W. Jantha, illustrated by Gris Grimly, 231 pages. Disney Press, 2022. $25. 9781368076685 

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (danger and witchcraft) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

When the Sanderson Sisters were hanged in 1693 for witchcraft, they swore that they would return. Then 16yo Max lights their candle on Halloween in 1993 and awakens the sisters, who wreak havoc on the unsuspecting Salem. Max, his little sister Dani, and the babysitter, Allison, are the only ones standing in their way – with a lot of help from Binx – the soul of a boy from 1693 caught within a body of a cat. 

Gris Grimly’s illustrated version echoes the movie without trying to match it. The text is Jantha’s original novelization – fun to read and reminiscent of the movie with skillfully added details. 

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS