Ellie and the Hagwitch — Helen Cresswell

Ellie is a girl who, from time to time, can look into the future; it is an uncomfortable thing for her to live with. One day at dusk she becomes aware of a procession of cats leaving the Braille Wood, not in tens, not in hundreds, but in thousands; at the same time, Digby, the toll house keeper, mutters that the Enemy - the hagwitch - has begun to send out warnings again. The story develops into a battle between Ellie and the hagwitch where Ellie finds herself fighting for the eventual safety of the whole community. Helen Cresswell's powerfully imaginative story is accompanied by Jonathan Heap's atmospheric and detailed illustrations to produce a satisfying whole.