A Watcher in the Woods
First edition cover art
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| Author | Florence Engel Randall |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young adult fiction, science fiction, Gothic, mystery |
| Published | 1976 Atheneum Books |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 229 |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 1530915 |
| LC Class | PZ7.R1565 Wat |
A Watcher in the Woods is a 1976 mystery novel by Florence Engel Randall that was published by Atheneum Books.
It was re-released by Scholastic Book Services in 1980 a new title, The Watcher in the Woods () to tie-in with Walt Disney Studios' film adaptation with this new, slightly altered name.
The Carstairs family needs a house and the big old brick and stucco place in the country seemed perfect. Why then was Jan so unhappy about it? What was she afraid of? What was in woods beyond? She had felt it the very first day, walking up to the door. She had known the watcher was there as they knocked and waited for Mrs. Aylwood to come. And the little old woman, glancing at the woods, had known it was there too. Of course they bought the house. Jan had known they would. It was her mother's kind of house. Yet it was Jan who had made the purchase possible. Mrs. Aylwood, who was selling the house only because she had to, had talked to Jan and said, "I'll have to take a chance on you." What chance was that? Moving in, Jan felt the watcher still, but the only concrete evidence was a rash of broken mirrors-all with a large X across the middle. Not until the family went on a picnic near the old pond on the property did more clues come, and then they came as puzzles to be solved, as mysteries to be understood, as incredible facts to be absorbed, and as desperate need begging for prompt action. The universe is full of surprises, and Jan's watcher was one of the most amazing.
Jan (Janet) Carstairs: the fifteen-year-old daughter, she had the ability to "sense" the watcher. The main protagonist of the story, she struggles diligently to find out who or what the watcher is.
Ellie (Eleanor) Carstairs: the seven-year-old daughter, she has the ability to "hear" the watcher but when she transcribes the watcher's messages, they appear in a form of mirror writing (reversed). and also becomes the watcher as her sister reverses the happenings of the night she went missing.
Professor Paul Carstairs: the father of the family, it was his acceptance of a position at a Massachusetts university that caused the family to move from Ohio. Along with Jan, he is witness to the watcher's ability to communicate using a television set. He's fond of midnight snacks.
Mrs. Paul (Kate) Carstairs: the mother of the family, her original concern was that she find a house with a kitchen large enough to eat in, a fireplace in the living room, and a separate dining room. She discovered the first broken mirror with an X after her compact fell out of her purse. A practical woman, she doesn't want to think about the happenings in and around her household, but she can't stop herself.
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