680L,GRL R,GL 4.9,28 copies

680L,GRL R,GL 4.9,28 copies

The title of this book is what grabbed me first. It was a very quick read, and quite funny. It reminded me a bit of Zilpha Keatley Snyder's The Headless Cupid (highly recommended, btw), in that it's about children who have/pretend to have magic. Elizabeth is a very lonely girl who becomes an apprentice witch to Jennifer, who is also obviously in need of a friend. I thought the description of their relationship was realistic, and the book, written in the late 60s, is only slightly dated. ( )

A nice little juvenile novel about a new kid at school who gets recruited to be an apprentice witch. Is Jennifer a real witch? Will the flying ointment really work? and How on earth does Jennifer walk perfectly straight with her eyes stuck to the sky? Elizabeth embraces Jennifer's oddness and along the way learns all of her little secrets. I also like the way she doesn't even mention Jennifer's skin color until halfway through the book. ( )

A young girl, Elizabeth, at a new school becomes friends with another girl, Jennifer, who is a witch and promises to train Elizabeth as a witch as well. Jennifer, Elizabeth and Elizabeth's nemesis are described in a believable way, but are not easy to picture, the rest of the characters have very little description or development. The plot is interesting at the beginning but loses focus and has a twist to try and liven up the end. The setting is a small town with very little detail and in the early to mid-twentieth century . Overall this is an okay book, but the setting is a bit old for todays reader and while it could be included in a public library it does not seem to be a necessary addition to the collection. ( )