Book Review: Montooth and the Canfield Witch by Robert Jay

Montooth and the Canfield Witch
by Robert Jay
Carty Andersson

Cloverleaf Publishing
ISBN-10: 0-615-29645-9
ISBN-13: 978-0-615-29645-6
Publication Date: August, 2009
List Price: $27.99

Review: Legend has it that the Canfield family is really a family of witches. They've been around for years, but still remain a secret. Now there's only one Canfield left, Sally. So what happens when an average eighth grader meets Sally Canfield? The magnificent story is told by Carty Andersson, a brave young eighth-grader who has just that opportunity. Carty's magnificent adventure comes to life in Montooth and the Canfield Witch, written by Robert Jay. Montooth and the Canfield Witch is the first book of the Carty Andersson series.

Carty Andersson is a typical eighth-grader who lives in Florida. She loves visiting the swamp near her Aunt Lilly's house. One day Carty is on her way back from her aunt's house when she runs into a huge alligator in the swamp. While she is hiding from the alligator she spots the Canfield's house, and is curious because the Canfield's are supposedly witches. She also spots two men spying on Sally Canfield, the last member of the Canfield family. A while after the encounter, Carty must again travel into the swamp to look for plant species for her science project. While she is searching with her friends she spots a rare plant that they need for the project on Canfield property. So, Carty has to take on the difficult task of asking Sally Canfield if they can have a sample of the plant. When Carty goes to ask Sally, Sally invites her and her friends into the house. While there, Sally reads them an old fable about a large alligator named Montooth. Soon Carty begins to like Sally and becomes very worried for her. She has discovered that the two men who she saw in the swamp were treasure hunters plotting to steal something from Sally. Carty has to make a difficult decision. Should she risk her life and try to help Sally? Or should Carty keep herself safe and let the men hurt Sally?

Montooth and the Canfield Witch is a delightful story that combines fable and fact. I love the way the author made Carty a strong and determined girl. The author's descriptions of the swamp were also amazing. They made you feel as if you were right in the swamp with Carty. The other thing I liked was that the author used both fable and fact in the story. He used the fable or legend of Montooth, and he used the fact about the Salem witch trials. I thought the Salem witch trials added an interesting touch to the story. I enjoyed the fact that the story takes place a long time ago, during a period without modern technology. The plot of the story was very suspenseful and made you want to keep reading. The location was also very interesting, because the story takes place in a Florida swamp. I thought it was interesting that Sally's house is some what near Carty's aunt's house. Usually you would think that witches would live very far away from everyone. You would also not think that a witch would invite someone into their house. But I liked the fact that Sally was not necessarily a wicked witch, just a different person from everyone else. Montooth and the Canfield Witch is a great read for anyone interested in witch stories or fables.

Review written by Savannah (6th grade student).

We would like to thank MM Book Publicity for providing a copy of Montooth and the Canfield Witch for this review.

Have you read Montooth and the Canfield Witch? How would you rate it?