The Witches of Worm is a 1972 young adult novel by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Zilpha Keatley Snyder is an acclaimed author of books for children and young adults. Snyder was awarded three Newbery Honor Book awards for The Egypt Game, The Headless Cupid and The Witches of Worm. Since 1964, Snyder has completed 43 books...

. It received the Newbery Honor citation in 1973.

Plot summary

In the novel, a lonely pre-teen girl, the protagonist Jessica, finds a blind, almost hairless cat that she names Worm. A reclusive elderly neighbor helps her to raise it. Worm seems to have a terrible hold on Jessica, and it is suggested the cat possesses her to do mean and destructive things to her friends and her somewhat childish and emotionally-distant divorced mother. Jessica comes to believe Worm is being possessed by a group of witches that includes her elderly neighbor, Mrs. Fortune. Jessica’s destructive actions escalate until her mother attempts to send her counseling. Enraged by this idea, Jessica is left feeling betrayed by her mother and lonely.

It is left to the reader to decide if in fact anything actually supernatural is going on.

Controversy

This book has a history of being banned from school libraries because of its focus on the subject of witchcraft

Witchcraft

Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...

, the description of visions/nightmares Jessica experiences, and its protagonist's disturbing inner monologues with Worm/herself.