The Hickory Stick Bookshop is delighted to host Susan Kassirer who will be here to present and sign copies of her late mother’s recently discovered and published children’s book “The Knitting Witch” on Sunday October 20th at 2 pm. Joining Susan will be the book’s illustrator, Mark Richardson.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A long-lost manuscript, discovered by the author’s daughter, is finally brought to life and shared with the world. “The Knitting Witch” was penned by Norma Kassirer in the 1950s and cherished by her daughter Sue during her childhood. After Norma’s passing in 2013, Sue rediscovered the manuscript among her mother’s papers, sparking a journey to bring this treasure to today’s readers.

The story introduces readers to Ivy Lou, a spirited girl whose epic tantrums have gained her everything but friends until a whimsical witch enters her world and armed with enchanted knitting needles, whips up some magical friends. But the witch has plans of her own, and Ivy Lou’s home is soon transformed into a horrid little hut.

Readers will join Ivy Lou on a mesmerizing adventure, where daunting tasks like brewing potions replace a life of luxury and in which she embarks on an extraordinary journey to find her way home.

At its heart, “The Knitting Witch” is about the bond between mothers and daughters and the timeless magic of telling a story.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Norma Kassirer (1924-2013) was an acclaimed children’s author whose stories are celebrated for their wit, charm and magical narratives. Her timeless classic middle grade children’s novel “Magic Elizabeth”, was a bestseller in its Scholastic Book Club edition, is listed in Eden Ross Lipson’s New York Times Parent’s Guide to the Best Books for Children and has consistently garnered rave reader reviews. In addition, Norma was a poet and artist who influenced generations of poets and artists in her native Buffalo, NY.

Norma’s daughter, Sue Kassirer, is a freelance editor, writer and artist who worked for many years as a children’s book editor at Simon & Schuster, Viking-Penguin, Random House, and Harper Collins. Sue has published numerous children’s books of her own and is excitedly discovering many more manuscripts of her late mother’s.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Mark Richardson, a Rhode Island School of Design graduate, is a renowned artist and illustrator whose work bring stories to life with vivid and enchanting visuals. A friend of Sue’s, he read “The Knitting Witch”, loved it and spent a year illustrating it.

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

“Outlandish humor and lightly scary fairy tale magic permeate this fantasy adventure…”– Publishers Weekly

“Through simple prose, Norma Kassirer creates a magical adventure that is just right for independent young readers. With a poet’s command of imagery and a mastery of narrative, Kassirer offers a fully imagined world in The Knitting Witch that you won’t soon forget.”–Geoffrey Gatza, author of The Albatross Around the Neck of Albert Ross

“…reads like a bedtime story and will have kids giggling at Ivy Lou’s outrageous behavior.”–Avi, Newbery Award-winning author of Crispin: The Cross of Lead

This event is free and open to the public. If you are unable to attend this event, you may reserve signed copies of “The Knitting Witch” by calling The Hickory Stick Bookshop at (860) 868 0525, or shop our website 24/7 at www.hickorystickbookshop.com.

The Hickory Stick Bookshop
2 Green Hill Rd
Washington Depot
CT 06794
https://hickorystickbookshop.com/event/2024-10-20/presentation-book-signing-knitting-witch