The Worst Witch
Style: Good
Attitude: Positive
Series: The Worst Witch
Publisher: Puffin
Published in: 1974
Age Range: Children
Period: Indeterminate
Setting: Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches
Characters:
- Mildred Hubble is the luckless young witch for whom nothing seems to go right.
- Maud Moonshine is Mildred's best friend.
- Miss Hardbroom is the girl's fearsome form mistress.
Synopsis:
Mildred Hubble, in her first year at Miss Cackle's Academy, must overcome her tendency to mess things up and not disgrace the school when they put on a public broomstick display. She is helped by the support of her friend Maud, and hindered by the malice of know-it-all Ethel Hallow.
Notes:
General: A charming little story, helped out by the illustrations. You really sympathise with well-meaning Mildred, whose bootlaces are always undone, whose broomstick never quite flies straight, and whose cat is scared of flying. You feel like booing when the bad girl hexes her broom, and cheering when — in spite of everything — she comes good at the end.
Ethel gave a shriek of laughter.
“That's really funny!” she crowed. “You don't even know the beginners' spells, let alone ones like that.”
Mildred blushed and looked very miserable.
“Go on, then!” cried Ethel. “Go on, then, if you're so clever. Turn me into a frog! I'm waiting.”
It just so happened that Mildred did have an idea of that spell (she had been reading about it in the library). By now, everyone had crowded round, waiting to see what would happen, and Ethel was still jeering. It was unbearable.
Mildred muttered the spell under her breath == and Ethel vanished. In her place stood a small pink and grey pig.
Tuesday 1st January 2002