This book was written for a young audience, but still had a lot of suspense. I remember being pretty scared when I watched the movie as a kid.

A young brother and sister are in a sort of orphanage/juvenile detention home. They are different from the other kids - they can speak telepathically, can move objects through telekinesis, and a few other unusual skills. A long lost "uncle" turns up to claim them. They barely recall this "uncle", but they are so afraid - with good cause. So they decide to hit the road with the help of a priest.

As they make plans to escape, they start to recall bits and pieces of their childhood. A process that accelerates on their journey. They end up with a large number of people hunting them down leading to a very dramatic ending.

The book was good but the movie was a bit better. ( )

Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key


When a sinister man claiming to be their uncle tries to remove them from an orphanage, Tony and Tia, a brother and sister with unusual powers, flee and start a search for other people like themselves in the hope of learning more about their mysterious and half-remembered past.

With the assistance of a Roman Catholic priest, Father O'Day, the pair head toward the Blue Ridge Mountains and an area marked on a fragment of a map which had been in Tia's possession since she was a very small child. As their memories gradually return, the children begin to suspect that their origin must be much stranger than anyone could ever have imagined.

As with The Forgotten Door, the protagonists quickly discover that the majority of the individuals they encounter are greedy, dishonest, and treacherous, which serves to highlight the unselfish decency of those who genuinely wish to help. Father O'Day willingly risks his life and liberty to assist Tony and Tia because he views this as an opportunity to fight the forces of evil, which he interprets according to his religious preconceptions. At one point, he speaks to the effect that God is capable of creating many worlds and many peoples, and of mysteries far beyond the narrow dreaming of the people who desire to use the children for their own nefarious purposes. Another point in common with The Forgotten Door is Tia's ability to communicate with animals telepathically, and an implied criticism regarding cruelty to other creatures. Younger readers will probably enjoy the antics of Winkie, a black cat which attaches itself to Tia at the orphanage and goes on to accompany the fugitives throughout their journey.

I think that Escape to Witch Mountain would be a worthy introduction to science fiction for young people today. While the plot moves quickly and has plenty of action, it is balanced by satisfying introspective passages. The story is only really dated by one remark by Father O'Day about human rights and human suffering meaning nothing to a communist. Since the book was written in 1968 (when the Cold War was at its height) I am somewhat surprised that there are not more statements of this nature. Adult readers may feel that certain concepts and realizations are emphasized a little too often in the course of the narrative, but for me this did not spoil the originality of the story or its overall poignancy.





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Funny how it is with these Goodreads recommendations. If you read this, you'll also like this! And I look at the books and think - oh, yeh, I read these. This is one that looks oh-so-familiar, cover and all. I think I got it AFTER the movie from the 70's came out. (Considering the cover, that would be logical.) I think I liked the movie better. Could be wrong on that one, but I remember really liking the movie and really wanting to be Tia. ( )

So verrrry sixties / seventies. A nice nostalgia trip, but I think kid lit has come along away since then. ( )

Tony and Tia are orphans that have no memory of their past. But because they have supernatural powers, they are sure that they come from a strange place. Tony is an expert in telekinesis, and Tia's strengths include the ability to unlock any door by touch and communicate with animals. They also can talk to each other via ultrasonic speech.

When Lucas Deranian shows up claiming to be their uncle they start to get suspicious. With the help of Catholic priest, Father O'Day, they escape New York and head to the Blue Ridge Mountains. The stress of outwitting Deranian has started to bring back some old memories and they think they will find their missing family once they get there.

This is a quick fun read for children, written in 1968, so I'm not going to judge it the way I would a modern YA fantasy for older children. The story is simple and more effort is put into the trip to Witch Mountain, rather than exploring the children's abilities. It brought back some nice memories of sitting in the living room, watching the movie with my daughter back in the 1980s. ( )