The Worst Witch to the Rescue

June 1, 2014

Gr 3-5-The sixth installment of the "Worst Witch" series has student witch Ethel Hallow unusually anxious. Instead of the usual spell practice, the school assignment over break from strict Miss Hardbroom was to simply come back with something "unusual and interesting." Ethel has found herself in the hard spot of trying to invent something on the way back to school, when she runs into Mildred Hubble. Mildred was in a tree rescuing her cat Tabs. When Ethel asks Mildred how she did on her holiday project, she is surprised to find that Mildred has discovered something exciting. Ethel is not used to being the one in the shadows, and in fact their roles seem to be reversed. True to her personality, Ethel finds a way to leave Mildred in the dust and take on her project as her own. Before the end of the story, Ethel does get her comeuppance and Mildred is allowed to shine. Heavily illustrated, with plenty of white space, these books do appear to be for younger children, but the vocabulary is high and contains Britishisms, which may need some explanation. Quite a nice facelift to a fantasy series for those not quite ready for Harry Potter.-Stacy Dillon, LREI, New York City

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2014
How can anyone resist a talking tortoise and a good-hearted young witch?For the first time in many years, American readers can read more adventures of Mildred Hubble, the lovable, accident-prone young witch. Returning for her second term at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches, Mildred is uncharacteristically optimistic about a fresh start. Her big idea for creating a spell that makes animals talk (at least for a little while) is unique, creative and impressive. Her notes are in order, and she is excited to present her project to the demanding Miss Hardbloom. But innocent Mildred shares her idea with her enemy, the slippery and conniving Ethel Hallow, and things go bad quickly. Her optimism disappears with her notes when evil Ethel presents Mildred's idea as her own. Readers will cheer for the bighearted Mildred when she takes huge risks to save Einstein, her tortoise friend, and he in turn saves her. An old-fashioned tone combines with Briticisms and sophisticated vocabulary to make this a fine step up from early chapter books. Distinctively detailed black-and-white illustrations grace each spread, adding humor and information to the narrative. Mildred's innocent expressions juxtaposed with Miss Hardbloom's harsh eyebrows will keep young readers engaged and amused.Heartwarming magic with just the right touch of talking toads and tortoises. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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