The Only Thing Worse than Witches
Roald Dahl meets Eva Ibbotson in this hilarious middle grade debut perfect for reading aloud!
Rupert Campbell is fascinated by the witches who live nearby. He dreams of broomstick tours and souvenir potions, but Rupert’s mother forbids him from even looking at that part of town. The closest he can get to a witchy experience is sitting in class with his awful teacher Mrs. Frabbleknacker, who smells like bellybutton lint and forbids Rupert’s classmates from talking to each other before, during, and after class. So when he sees an ad to become a witch’s apprentice, Rupert simply can’t resist applying.
But Witchling Two isn’t exactly what Rupert expected. With a hankering for lollipops and the magical aptitude of a toad, she needs all the help she can get to pass her exams and become a full-fledged witch. She’s determined to help Rupert stand up to dreadful Mrs. Frabbleknacker too, but the witchling's magic will be as useful as a clump of seaweed unless Rupert can figure out a way to help her improve her spellcasting—and fast!
***Praise for Witches***
Autumn 2014 Kids'
Indie Next List Pick
"Fifth-grader Rupert Campbell lives in a world that combines Roald Dahl’s Witches and Louis Sachar’s Wayside School . . . readers will banish themselves from the ordinary world to finish this book in a flash."
-Kirkus Reviews
* Starred review
"First-time novelist Lauren Magaziner fashions a rich and compelling alternative reality in the seaside town of Gliverstoll . . . an absorbing adventure for tweens and pre-tweens."
-The Chicago Tribune
"Magaziner’s debut has echoes of Dahl’s Matilda . . . The same goofy charm that Magaziner brings to the names of characters and settings (Mrs. Gummyum, Yammerstop Way) carries through to the details of witch life and logic in the town of Gliverstoll, resulting in a fun, frothy story that will, well, charm its readers."
-Publishers Weekly
"Ideal for middle-grade readers who love Roald Dahl's Matilda and enjoy humor with their fantasy, this debut novel is madcap and fantastical. It's the perfect thing for kids not quite ready for Diane Duane or Madeleine L'Engle."
-Booklist
"Mrs. Frabbleknacker is as awful as her name, with antics reminiscent of scenes from Louis Sachar’s Sideways Stories from Wayside School gone wrong."
-School Library Journal
"The kids’ slowly forming friendship has real grace and authenticity . . . in addition, Eva Ibbotson fans will appreciate the quirky humor."
-The Bulletin for the Center
of Children's Books
