SNEAKER HILL

by Jane Little ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 21, 1967

The author of Spook (1965) has more magic tricks up her typewriter. There's a troupe of timid creatures with large, rubbery-looking feet, the Sneakers, who've taken refuge from the frightening world inside a hill; dungeons occupied by a handsome unicorn, a dragon who feeds on fresh fire, a wivern who likes to shake hands, a shy sea monster; a corps of militant rats who practice sharp practices; and a Sisterhood of Witches. Ten-year-old Susan and her cousin Mathew enter the hill in pursuit of Mathew's mother, Aunt Miranda, who aspires, in her bumbling, bemused fashion to become a witch. She fails the tests on technicalities, and the witches are about to ""dispatch"" her--they can't have any half-cooked conjurers around--when the Sneakers and the rats, encouraged by Susan and Mathew to ally, mount an attack, supported by the mythical beasts. All ends will enough, with Aunt Miranda trying to resist the temptation to rely on spells and cook a proper dinner. Despite occasional sharp dialogue and the abundance of fanciful inventions, the fun is rather synthetic, the fantasy rather forced. It's light entertainment in the manner of Bewitched with a supporting cast of assorted spirits.

Pub Date: March 21, 1967

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Atheneum

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1967

Categories: FICTION