Earwig and the Witch

Description:

Her name is Earwig, and she has been at the orphanage ever since she was a baby. That's how she likes it. She has a best friend, Custard, and everyone does exactly what Earwig wants. She never wants to leave, so she makes sure that no one ever picks her. But one day, a very strange couple adopts her and takes her home to Thirteen Lime Avenue. They try to make themselves look ordinary. But they are not ordinary, not in the least. There is a lot of magic brewing at Thirteen Lime Avenue. And Earwig just might discover that she likes it.

Brief description:

In a career spanning four decades, award-winning author Diana Wynne Jones (1934-2011) wrote more than forty books of fantasy for young readers. Characterized by magic, multiple universes, witches, and wizards--and a charismatic nine-lived enchanter--her books are filled with unlimited imagination, dazzling plots, and an effervescent sense of humor that earned her legendary status in the world of fantasy. Her books, published to international acclaim, have earned a wide array of honors, including two Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honors and the British Fantasy Society's Karl Edward Wagner Award for having made a significant impact on fantasy. Acclaimed director and animator Hayao Miyazaki adapted Howl's Moving Castle into a major motion picture, which was nominated for an Academy Award.

Review Quotes:

"With this enthralling book, Jones proves that she is still at the top of her game." - Booklist (starred review)

"[A] joyfully chaotic tale." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Praise for Enchanted Glass: ALA Booklist Top Ten Fantasy for Youth "The best children's writer of the last forty years." - Neil Gaiman, author of Coraline

"This funny story updates fairy tale conventions while highlighting Jones's subversive wit and her firm belief that children can control their own lives. ... A fine introduction to the late author's more complex YA novels." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Earwig is a plucky, bossy heroine, and the story is packed with with and humor. Zelinsky's illustrations enhance this imaginative tale." - School Library Journal

"Readers are treated to a nonstop plot, memorable characters, and signature DWJ touches ... An accessible page design incorporates Zelinsky's plentiful line illustrations, the best of which are showstoppers." - The Horn Book

"A refreshing change of pace for young fantasy fans." - Booklist

"Jones brings her characteristic witty humor and rich imagination to a whimsical chapter book that would undoubtedly delight as a readaloud. Stubborn and mischievous, Earwig is a likable, albeit irascible, heroine, and her triumph at the witch's expense will elicit plenty of cheerful howls." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books