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The Widow's Broom by Chris Van Allsburg

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In The Widow's Broom, did you enjoy ...

... the uncanny, low-key magic intruding on everyday life?

The Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaiman

If you loved how Minna Shaw’s quiet farmhouse is upended by a bewitched broom—and how everyday routines like sweeping and cooking become unsettlingly magical—you’ll click with the way The Wolves in the Walls lets the extraordinary leak into Lucy’s ordinary home. Like Minna outwitting the fearful Spiveys, Lucy has to face down the bizarre intruders no one else wants to believe in. It’s that same sly blend of homely details turned uncanny, plus a brave, clever kid who restores order when adults falter.

... a small, homey setting where everyday objects come eerily alive?

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams

You enjoyed watching a broom learn chores in Minna Shaw’s kitchen and then rattle a whole village; here, a lone woman walking home confronts clomping boots, wiggling gloves, and a nodding pumpkin that assemble themselves into a scarecrow. As with Minna’s clever pumpkin-and-broom ruse to spook the Spiveys, the heroine’s calm wit turns something spooky into something useful. It’s intimate, cottage-close storytelling with just the right tingle.

... its clear stand against prejudice and mob mentality?

The Sneetches and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss

If the way the townsfolk in The Widow’s Broom let fear of “witchcraft” turn them against Minna—and how the Spiveys whip up the crowd—stuck with you, The Sneetches delivers that same moral clarity. Just as Minna exposes small‑mindedness with a gentle, clever reveal, these stories lampoon status-chasing and bigotry with warmth and bite, leaving you with the kind of satisfying ethical snap you felt when Minna’s plan set the fearmongers straight.

... a pointed, allegorical tale where power flips the tables on bullies?

The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl

Minna Shaw’s quiet, surgical justice—letting the Spiveys feel the fear they peddled—echoes the zippy reversals in The Magic Finger. When a family of hunters is transformed and forced to live with the consequences of their choices, it mirrors the way the Spiveys’ stone‑throwing and broom‑burning rebound on them after Minna’s pumpkin-lit ploy. It’s a sharp, fable-like zap of comeuppance that scratches the same itch.

... gentle, whimsical magic used to quietly transform a community?

Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett

If the charm of a broom that sweeps, cooks, and ultimately helps Minna reshape her wary village won you over, you’ll love how Annabelle’s endless box of yarn softens a gray town stitch by stitch. Like Minna’s steady kindness—and her smart, nonviolent way of handling the Spiveys—the magic here is humble and practical, turning suspicion into warmth without bluster. It’s that same cozy spell of everyday enchantment changing hearts.

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