The Witch's Boy - Paperback

by Kelly Barnhill (Author)

From the Newbery-Medal winning author of The Girl Who Drank the Moon comes a spellbinding fantasy adventure spun around a haunting prophecy: The wrong boy will save your life, and you will save his.

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

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. But when a Bandit King comes to steal the magic Ned's mother, a witch, is meant to protect, it's Ned who safeguards the magic and summons the strength to protect his family and community.

Meanwhile, across the enchanted forest that borders Ned's village lives Áine, the resourceful and pragmatic daughter of the Bandit King, who is haunted by her mother's last wordsto her: "The wrong boy will save your life and you will save his." When Áine's and Ned's paths cross, can they trust each other long enough to stop the war that's about to boil over between their two kingdoms?

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

DON'T MISS THESE OTHER ACCLAIMED BOOKS BY KELLY BARNHILL:
The Mostly True Story of Jack
Iron Hearted Violet
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
The Ogress and the Orphans

Front Jacket

"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 Biography

Kelly Barnhill is a bestselling author of books for children and adults, including The Girl Who Drank the Moon, winner of the Newbery Medal; The Ogress and the Orphans, a National Book Award finalist; and the highly acclaimed novels for young readers The Witch's Boy, Iron Hearted Violet, and The Mostly True Story of Jack. She is also a winner of the World Fantasy Award and has been a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award, the Andre Norton Nebula Award, and the PEN America Literary Award. Kelly lives in Minnesota with her husband and three children, and she invites you to visit her online at kellybarnhill.com or on Bluesky @kellybarnhill.bsky.social.