The Brixen Witch: A Review
By Stacy DeKeyser
Snapshot of a Book
Then come the rats. Unnaturally bold, they appear everywhere in the village. There isn't a house that is safe from them. No matter how hard the people work to get rid of them, they come back to spoil food and get into all the safe places. The village tries bringing a rat catcher to town, a diligent worker that Rudi assists. When the rat catcher hears that the Brixen Witch is to blame for the rats, he says that would be most unlike her. But if it isn't the witch, then who is behind this plague? Events grow even stranger when a mysterious fiddler comes to town.
Author Stacy DeKeyser has crafted a retelling of the Pied Piper's tale, one with an ending that resolves what happens after the children disappear. Rudi's theft of the coin creates a string of unintended events that he must try to set aright. This middle grade book would be a great introduction to retold fairy tales.