Little Witch Goes to School

January 1, 1999
K-Gr 3-Little Witch is back and she wants to go to school. Frustrated by her continual good behavior, Mother Witch wants her daughter to stay home and learn to be bad from her relatives. When Little Witch promises to be bad if she is allowed to go to school, her mother agrees. Despite her pledge, Little Witch is a good role model for enthusiastic cooperation in the classroom, as she participates in activities, performs her assigned job, and even gives the other children a ride on her broomstick. At the end of the day, she admits that she didn't hold up her end of the bargain. Her mother reminds her, "It's bad to break a promise." Beginning readers will find sufficient picture clues, repetitive language, short sentences, and action to support their reading efforts. They will also get a kick out of the twist of semantics at the end of this lighthearted story, and will enjoy the appealing watercolor-and-pen illustrations that appear throughout.-Gale W. Sherman, Pocatello Public Library, ID