The Widow's Broom

( 8 )
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up in Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Hardcover (Library Binding) 
A book with a specially fortified binding and durable hardcover designed to withstand repeated use. Often used for children's titles and usually more expensive than standard hardcover editions.
$17.05
BN.com price
$18.95 List Price (Save 10%)
Marketplace (New and Used)
from
$1.99
$18.95 List Price (Save 89%)
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
All (60)  
Used (40)  
New (20)  
Close
Sort by
Page 1 of 6
Showing 1 – 10 of 60 (6 pages)
$1.99
(Save 89%)
AtlantaBookCompany
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(8063)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

Acceptable
Dust Cover Missing. Ex-Library book - will contain library markings. A tradition of southern quality and service. All books guaranteed at the Atlanta Book Company. Our mailers ... are 100% recyclable. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Atlanta, GA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 89%)
MotorCityBooks
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(5054)

Condition: Acceptable
Dust Cover Missing. With pride from Motor City. All books guaranteed. Best Service, Best Prices.

Ships from: Brownstown, MI

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$2.00
(Save 89%)
New Chapter Recycling
Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(3293)

Condition: Good

Ships from: Lakewood, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$2.70
(Save 86%)
OwlsBooks-TRM
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(22568)

Condition: Good
Giving great service since 2004: Buy from the Best! 4,000,000 items shipped to delighted customers. We have 1,000,000 unique items ready to ship! Find your Great Buy today!

Ships from: Lakewood, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$4.25
(Save 78%)
Extremely_Reliable
Seller since 2007

Feedback rating:

(3210)

Condition: Good
Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.

Ships from: Richmond, TX

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
$4.49
(Save 76%)
Debbie Tessar CO
Seller since 2005

Feedback rating:

(365)

Condition: Good
Orlando, Florida, U.S.A. 1992 Hard Cover Good. No Jacket No dustjacket. text is very good.

Ships from: Denver, CO

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$6.97
(Save 63%)
Alibris NV
Seller since 2005

Feedback rating:

(20386)

Condition: Good
1992-09-28 Hardcover Good in good dust jacket. Good, In good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 32 p. Contains: Illustrations.

Ships from: Sparks, NV

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$9.48
(Save 50%)
Adsrus Media IA
Seller since 2007

Feedback rating:

(1252)

Condition: Very Good
1992-09-28 Hardcover Book Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Hardcover in dust jacket. Normal shelf and display wear. Minor cover wear...

Ships from: Des Moines, IA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$9.95
(Save 47%)
John Hardy
Seller since 2008

Feedback rating:

(52)

Condition: Good
0395640512 ex-library hard cover with a mylar covered dust jacket. Box Dec. 17

Ships from: Osceola, IA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
$10.00
(Save 47%)
BookFinder
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(12)

Condition: Very Good
Corners slightly bumped, light smudge on bottom of first page; DJ has edgewear, multiple small tears, corners worn, scratches on front, price-clipped.

Ships from: Fort Myers, FL

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
Page 1 of 6
Showing 1 – 10 of 60 (6 pages)
Close
Sort by

Overview

A widow finds herself in possession of an extraordinary broom left by a witch who fell into the widow's garden.

A witch's worn-out broom serves a widow well, until her neighbors decide the thing is wicked and dangerous.

... See more details below
Note: Kids' Club Eligible. See More Details.
Sending request ...

More About This Book

Overview

A widow finds herself in possession of an extraordinary broom left by a witch who fell into the widow's garden.

A witch's worn-out broom serves a widow well, until her neighbors decide the thing is wicked and dangerous.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
When Minna Shaw comes into possession of a witch's broom, it is as if good fortune itself has dropped from the sky. The broom sweeps on its own and does other chores; it can even pick out simple tunes on the piano. The widow's ignorant neighbors hate and torment the implement, though, fearing what they cannot understand; but in the end the widow and her broom triumph. This resonant tale, one of its gifted author/illustrator's most impressive efforts, effectively draws on mystery and whimsy alike--both human nature and the supernatural are powerful forces here. Van Allsburg's grainy, sepiatone illustrations variously evoke brooding, suspicion, grandeur, humor and serenity. Many individual pictures are haunting--amid a tangle of squash vines, for example, lies the fallen witch, with only one of her hands visible--and in composite they reverberate powerfully indeed. The narrative's subtle conclusion will evoke pleasurable shudders, as readers (gradually, perhaps) become aware of what has transpired. Both visually and narratively, a provocative and altogether satisfying work. All ages. (Sept.)
"Van Allsburg explores the nature of good and evil in this unearthly tale of a witch's broom that has fallen from the sky with its witch still on it . . . Enchanting."
More Reviews (3) Fewer Reviews
School Library Journal
K-Gr 5-- This story combines trickery and magic with witches, brooms, an old widow, and her jealous neighbors. A witch leaves her errant broom in Minna Shaw's garden and, true to its nature, it sweeps and sweeps and sweeps until the woman in desperation, teaches it to chop wood, fetch water, bring the cow from the pasture, feed the chickens, and even to play the piano. All runs smoothly until the Spiveys who live down the road discover this wonderful object and insist it must be evil. After an encounter with the Spivey children in which the broom punishes them for their misbehavior, the enraged father comes to seize the offender and destroy it. But the widow outsmarts the man, and she and her broom live happily ever after. The sepia toned pencil illustrations have a grainy quality that gives the sense of moody mystery while adding texture and detail to the tangibles of village life. The positioning of figures, the sweep of lines, and the angles and tones used to capture characters and events have a haunting sense reminiscent of Van Allsburg's early work. He does not overemphasize the message that the special powers of the unknown need not be evil; rather a delicious humor is subtly portrayed through both text and art. This story leaves readers and listeners with the satisfaction of a well-told tale and, although not strictly for Halloween, may turn out to be as much a part of that holiday as Polar Express (Houghton, 1985) is of Christmas. --Kay E. Vandergrift, School of Communication, Information and Library Studies, Rutgers Univ . , New Brunswick, NJ
School Library Journal
K-Gr 5--When a widow finds a talented broom than can do her chores, she can hardly believe her good fortune--until her covetous neighbors insist it must be evil. A bewitching story of trickery, jealousy, suspicion, and magic, paired with looming illustrations that subtly heighten the drama. (Nov. 1992)
Ilene Cooper
Van Allsburg explores the nature of good and evil in this unearthly tale of a witch's broom that has fallen from the sky with its witch still on it. Minna Shaw helps the witch, who leaves the broom behind, and it doesn't take long for the broom to show itself to be unusual. Widow Shaw spies it sweeping the floor all by itself, and though she's frightened, she quickly realizes what a help it can be. Soon she's taught it to chop wood, fetch water, feed the cow, and even plunk out a few tunes on the piano. Such an oddity doesn't stay secret for long, of course. The widow's neighbors, the Spiveys, are horrified by the devil broom. Though the broom tries to mind its own business, the Spivey boys find it the perfect object to torment. Finally, the broom knocks the boys on their heads, and when their dog tries to bite, the broom flings it across the field. As far as Mr. Spivey's concerned, the broom has proved itself evil, and he insists on burning it. Days later, the broom reappears, white as snow. A ghost broom, the widow insists, and the Spiveys pack up and leave in a frightened hurry. Once they're gone, the widow is free to enjoy the broom once more--the broom she has painted white The story starts out magnificently. The witch (whom Van Allsburg depicts as handsome and powerful) and her broom are perfect lures into another reality. There are also touches of humor throughout, as well as subtle reminders that evil can take many forms. It is only the ending, and the broom's inexplicable reappearance, that distract. How the broom rose from the ashes is, of course, a question readers will ponder. By not answering it, Van Allsburg wants to extend the story's ambiguity, but he merely intrudes on it. There is no ambiguity about the artwork, however. It is some of Van Allsburg's finest: oversize, sepia-tone drawings, with precise linework that has both visual clarity and intriguing nuance. "The Widow's Broom is also a handsome piece of bookmaking: the design and the paper add to the book's strength. Enchanting.

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780395640517
  • Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
  • Publication date: 9/28/1992
  • Format: Library Binding
  • Pages: 32
  • Sales rank: 78,499
  • Age range: 5 - 10 Years
  • Lexile: 810L (what's this?)
  • Product dimensions: 8.13 (w) x 13.25 (h) x 0.13 (d)

Meet the Author

Chris Van Allsburg
Chris Van Allsburg

Chris Van Allsburg is the winner of two Caldecott Medals, for Jumanji and The Polar Express, as well as the recipient of a Caldecott Honor Book for The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. The author and illustrator of numerous picture books for children, he has also been awarded the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children’s literature. In 1982, Jumanji won the National Book Award and in 1996, it was made into a popular feature film. Chris Van Allsburg was formerly an instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife and two children.

Biography

Multiple Caldecott Medal winner Chris Van Allsburg grew up in the 1950s in and around Grand Rapids, Michigan. He majored in sculpture at the University of Michigan's College of Architecture & Design and graduated in 1972. He received his M.F.A. in 1975 from Rhode Island School of Design.

After graduate school, Van Allsburgh set up a sculpture studio in Providence, married and settled in the area, and began exhibiting his work in New York City and throughout New England. Around the same time, he became interested in drawing. His wife, Lisa, encouraged him to pursue children's book illustration, putting him in contact with her friend David Macauley, a successful artist and author. Macauley's editor at Houghton Mifflin was impressed by Van Allsburgh's work and advised him to try his hand at illustrating a story of his own. His maiden effort, The Garden of Abdul Gasazi, was published in 1979 and received a Caldecott Honor Medal.

Since that auspicious beginning, Van Allsburgh has gone on to produce a string of wonderfully inventive, critically acclaimed, and award-winning books. He gathers inspiration from unlikely quarters -- the progress of ants across a kitchen counter, crayon streaks in a child's coloring book, a children's board game come to life -- and executes his ideas on a provocative but surefire "What if..." principle.

Among his many awards are two Caldecott Medals -- one for Jumanji, written in 1982 and the other for 1985's The Polar Express; a National Book Award (also for Jumanji); and the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children's literature.

Good To Know

Van Allsburg's grandfather owned and operated the East End Creamery and delivered milk and milk products to homes around the Grand Rapids area in yellow and blue trucks.

One of Van Allsburg's childhood homes was a big, Tudor-styled house on a wide, tree-lined street. He used the street as a model for the cover art of what is arguably his most famous book, The Polar Express.

Because so many students at Van Allsburg's high school excelled academically, representatives from the University of Michigan would visit each year to interview interested seniors and admit them on the spot if they met qualifications. During his senior year, Van Allsburg was told about the art program affiliated with the University's College of Architecture & Design and thought it sounded like fun. Although he had never had any formal art classes, he fibbed to the admissions officer, saying he had taken private lessons outside of school.

Two of Van Allsburg's bestselling books, Jumanji and The Polar Express, were subsequently turned into blockbuster movies.

Van Allsburg is not your typical "feel good" children's author. He has been known to handle darker themes, and his stories often involve bizarre worlds and dreamscapes.

In all his stories, Van Allsburg inserts a little white bull terrier modeled after a real-life dog owned by his brother-in-law. (Another popular children's author, David Shannon, does the same thing, but Shannon's pup is a Westie!)

    1. Hometown:
      Providence, Rhode Island
    1. Date of Birth:
      June 18, 1949
    2. Place of Birth:
      Grand Rapids, Michigan
    1. Education:
      University of Michigan College of Architecture & Design, 1972; Rhode Island School of Design, MFA, 1975
    2. Website:
      http://www.chrisvanallsburg.com

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 8 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(6)

4 Star

(1)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(1)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identiy on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

We're sorry, but penname is already taken.

Please select one of the following:
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

penname is available!

By visiting the BN.com website or marking a purchase on BN.com, a User is deemed to have accepted the Terms of Use.

Continue Anonymously

Welcome, penname

You have successfully created your Pen Name. Start enjoying the benefits of the BN.com Community today.

Sort by: Showing all of 8 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 16, 2009

    I Also Recommend:

    9780395486689 9780395533086 9780395673461 9780395278048

    Widow's Broom

    As I teacher I love this book. It is a great discussion piece. As always Chris Van Allsburg keeps the reader guessing even once you are finished reading. I don't know which is better his written words or his illustrations.


    Although this is a "picture" book I highly recommend it to all. If you have never read any of this authors works, I suggest you do so.

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted October 23, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    A Stand Out

    Out of Van Allsburg's work, The Widow's Broom literally stands out. Rather than the traditional landscape format, this tall and narrow piece was published in portrait format which is seems appropriate when considering that the book is delivering the magical story of a broom. According to the cataloging information offered by the Library of Congress, The Widow's Broom is summarized as, "A witch's worn-out broom serves a widow well, until her neighbors decide the thing is wicked and dangerous." Like The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, this piece also has a black dust jacket and is adorned with black endpapers; however, in the case of The Widow's Broom, a warm brown, almost orange, color on the dust jacket and the boards give the book an autumn and Halloween-feel -- the time of year in which the story was set.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted October 30, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    Great Example of Stereotyping

    I definitely didn't like this story. It perpetuates a false stereotyping of Christians. Yes, Christians believe that a witch's broom is powered by the power of Satan but born again, real Christians wouldn't act the way the Christians are portrayed in this book. Liberals talk about tolerance and they tolerate everything except Christians. If the desire is to indoctrine children with that same intolerance and to perpetuate untruths about Christians, then the author is helping to accomplishing that with this book.

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 4, 2001

    Great book

    This book is great to read to students. It holds their attention and keeps them guessing!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted July 25, 2000

    funny

    There was an old witch. She had an old broom.Then the witch fell down.I think that it's realy scary for little kids because the broom had an ax.But my friends and I or my grup think that its a little funny to us.I think the story is funny because the broom threw the dog. Jennifer Hernandez,Erica Ayala and Bertha Hernandez.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted July 25, 2000

    adventurous

    The Widow's Broom This book is about a widow that found a witche's. She told the broom to feed the chickens,milk the cows,and clean the floor. This book was a fantasy and mystery story. It was fantasy because the broom came to life. It was mystery because the broom was a spirit. Tis was a scary and interesring book. We liked the book because it was funny when the dog got the broom and the dog flew.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted July 6, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted August 22, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 8 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)
500 character limit