Hoodoo's earnest first-person narrative reveals a believable innocent who can 'cause deeds great and powerful. Seekers of the scary and 'something different' need look no further.' -Kirkus 'The chilling supernatural Southern Gothic plot action is enhanced by atmospheric description of rural life in Depression-era Alabama.Readers will particularly enjoy Hoodoo's authentic and engaging narrative voice.' - School Library Journal 'Hoodoo's first-person narrative, which flows beautifully, has an appealing and natural cadence.Through his protagonist, Smith demonstrates an eye for detail and a knack for evocative imagery as well as for telling a riveting story with a dollop of southern gothic appeal.' -Booklist 'Filled with folk and religious symbols, this creepy Southern Gothic ghost story is steeped in time and place. Hoodoo is pure folk magic, if you didn’t know.” -Keith Donohue, New York Times best-selling author of The Stolen Child 'The authenticity of Hoodoo's voice and this distinctive mashup of genres make Smith one to watch. Told by a narrator you won’t soon forget, it is filled with myth and legend, danger and bravery.

What a fun discovery!” -Nikki Giovanni, poet and award-winning author of Rosa “I loved this book. 336 reviews Twelve-year-old Hoodoo Hatcher was born into a family with a rich tradition of practicing folk magic: hoodoo, as most people call it.Schmidt, two-time Newbery Honor medalist and author of The Wednesday Wars “Oh, wow! Hoodoo may just be the perfect book for a rainy day. Reader, be prepared to have your foundations shaken: this is a world that is deeper, more wondrous, more spiritually charged than you may have ever imagined.” -Gary D. The straightforward plot makes this accessible to younger readers, and the atmospheric setting will certainly leave them with a chill.' -The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 'The action of the novel moves swiftly, and readers should be easily drawn into its dark, supernatural ambience.' -Publishers Weekly “What a splendid novel. 'The horror element is just as vividly drawn, with the terrifying Stranger rivaling Barraclough’s Long Lankin in his creepiness.

Hoodoo by Ronald L. Smith