Spook was a deeply unhappy little dog, forced to be the familiar to Grimalda, a nasty witch who rarely fed him, and had no kindness to offer him. Then one Halloween night he fell from her broom and found himself taken in by a little human boy named Jamie, experiencing affection for the first time in his life. When Grimalda hunts Spook down and makes off with him, Jamie hitches a ride on her broomstick, determined to keep the dog he has come to love. With the Head Witch officiating, Grimalda and Jamie have a magical contest to determine who will keep Spook. But what sort of magic does Jamie possess...?

Published in 1965, Spook is a fairly unusual story, when it comes to witchy tales of this sort. I have read a number of books where the witch's cat doesn't wish to be a familiar - Ursula Moray William's classic novel, Gobbolino the Witch's Cat, as well as Natalie Savage Carlson's Spooky Night picture-books, spring to mind in this respect - but this is the first I have encountered where the reluctant familiar is a dog. The story here is engaging, with just enough thrills to keep the young readers enthralled, and a happy, heartwarming ending. The accompanying artwork from Suzanne Kesteloo Larsen accentuates the spookiness of Jane Little's tale, and adds to the reading pleasure. Recommended to beginning chapter-book readers looking for fun, witchy stories for Halloween. ( )