Parents' Guide to

The Memory Thief: Thirteen Witches, Book 1

By Mary Eisenhart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Ghostly series start celebrates friends, storytelling.

Book Jodi Lynn Anderson Fantasy 2021
The Memory Thief: Thirteen Witches, Book 1 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

Rosie Oaks, now 11, has been pretty much fending for herself, emotionally at least, since she was born, as her mom is mentally elsewhere whlie keeping up the bare minimum of earning a living. What Rosie doesn't know, but soon finds out, is that this is the work of THE MEMORY THIEF, a witch who stole her mom's lifetime of memories as revenge --because before Rosie was born, her mom was a successful hunter of witches. Also, as Rosie soon discovers, there are a lot of ghosts in her house, some scarier than others. The terrifying discoveries keep on coming, including a fact the readers already know -- that teh only reason Rosie's alive is because the witches who meant to snatch and kill her at birth were tricked into taking a different baby. Perhaps most scary of all, her lifelong best friend Germ (real name Gemma) is showing an alarming interest in boys, eyeliner, and other things that threaten to leave Rosie and their friendship out in the cold.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (1):

There's a lot going on in the first installment of Jodi Lynn Anderson's trilogy of cosmic conflict, hidden worlds, evil witches,dark forces, brave souls like its 11-year-old narrator -- and ghosts. Lots and lots of ghosts, some scary, some kind. And amid all this, relatable middle-grade anguish as best friends grow and change, and family pain as Rosie's mom is emotionally zombie-like. Sometimes it all comes together uneasily in The Memory Thief, a bit of a cosmological pile-on with details (like that witches can't be killed) often revealed just in time to advance or complicate the plot. But amid all that are a lot of heart, depth, and moments of brilliant writing that embody the life-changing miracle of storytelling.

"On the first day of kindergarten, Germ laid herself at the foot of our classroom door, screaming for her mom. All the other kids steered clear of her -- I guess because of the banshee-like wailing. I knew what it was like to miss someone, even though for me it was someone right there. So I sat beside the wild-eyed, wild-haired stranger and awkwardly patted her back and told her a story I made up on the spot about a bat who ate ugly old mosquitoes and burped out stars instead. By the end of the story, Germ had stopped crying and I'd won a friend for life."

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the role of memories in The Memory Thief. Why do they matter, and how do they make you who you are? What are some memories that are really important to you? Why are they important to you?

  • Would you find it easier to deal with difficult people if you pretended they're under a curse?

  • In The Memory Thief, witches are portrayed as purely evil. In other stories, they're seen as kindly and helpful, and in still others as silly and humorous. Which version do you prefer?

Book Details

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