| Title | : | The Worst Witch |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0763672602 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780763672607 |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 96 |
| Publication | : | First published October 1, 1974 |
Mildred Hubble is starting her first year at Miss Cackle’s Academy for Witches — and making a mess of it! She can’t ride her broomstick without crashing, she’s always getting her spells mixed up, and worst of all, the teacher’s pet, Ethel, has just become her sworn enemy.
The Worst Witch Reviews
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Although I personally have found Jill Murphy's 1974 The Worst Witch a bit too much like the outline of a novel, with not nearly enough descriptiveness and presented details (as well as an ending that feels rather rushed and even a bit of a deus ex machina that leaves me as an older adult reader a bit annoyed and unsatisfied), I also do in fact and indeed much admire the author for having introduced and having featured as main protagonist Mildred Hubble, a young witch in training at Miss Cackle's Academcy, who is always getting her spells wrong, has trouble staying balanced on her broomstick and faces constant criticism and bullying not only from her fellow witch trainees but often also from some if not many of her teachers (for Mildred Hubble as a literary character in a school-based children's story is seemingly one of the first, one of the earliest instances where a character who is probably afflicted with and by clumsiness producing dyspraxia or non verbal learning disability is portrayed, is actually shown to be the protagonist, the main hero/heroine of a novel, and not just a secondary character looking, peering in on the periphery).
Now in many ways, Murphy's Mildred Hubble really does rather remind me of a female version of J.K. Rowling's Neville Longbottom. However, and this is a heavy duty however, for those of you (thankfully not many, but this has unfortunately happened in a select few online reviews I have read) who seek to claim that Jill Murphy has somehow plagiarised her The Worst Witch series from Rowling's Harry Potter series, well, UNLESS Murphy was able to perform a Hermione Grainger like trick of travelling forward in time, the latter is patently and utterly impossible, seeing that The Worst Witch was published in 1974 and the novels about Harry Potter only started being published in the 1990s. Yes, in many ways, both the format and many of the themes of the two series appear to be linked and a bit similar in scope, but they are still independent entities, independent novels in and of themselves (and of course, while J.K. Rowling might also and indeed have been influenced by Jill Murphy's The Worst Witch and its sequels, and had perhaps and even likely read these books as a child, I also in NO way even remotely consider her Harry Potter series as being too close, too similar to the former, except that both series happen to be modern British school story variants and take place in magic and witchery academies).
Now while I must admit that as an adult reader (and as an older adult reader who has perused much classical literature for both pleasure and academics) Jill Murphy's The Worst Witch has generally and a bit frustratingly felt a bit lacking in details and description, and also often seems narratively and textually choppy and unfinished, I do still very much realise that for reluctant and recently independent younger readers who are not yet quite ready for the more intricately depicted and yes, also considerably darker and ominous worlds of Harry Potter, his friends and enemies, Mildred Hubble, Miss Cackle et al provide a suitable, engagingly entertaining and above all easily read, digested and understood romp and subsequent preparation for more involved and potentially increasingly dystopian fantasy novel models (two and a half stars, rounded up to a solid three stars, as I do enjoy and have appreciated young Mildred Hubble as a literary character, primarily due to the fact that she reminds me so much of myself at her age, and the troubles I experienced at school, not a witch academy of course, but simply Middle School, where being clumsy, being different, putting one's foot into one's mouth, having social connection issues all played a painful and annoyingly important role). -
This is a classic children’s book and this sumptuous, colour, hardback edition only makes it more special. Of course, the book features our heroine Mildred Hubble at Miss Cackle’s Academy – high up at the top of a mountain. Mildred really wants to be a great witch, but instead she is unsuccessful at her spells and is always in trouble. In many ways, this is a typical school story, just with a more unusual setting. There is Ethel, the teacher’s pet, Mildred’s friends Maud and Enid, lots of fun spells and a Halloween festival in which Midred and her classmates have to put on a broomstick display, with predictably disastrous consequences…
This version of the book is larger than usual, with full colour illustrations. The book itself is not particularly long (about 112 pages) and has short chapters and lots of fun illustrations. The first in a series, this is a beautiful gift version and is perfect for any child’s bookshelf either to read alone (depending on reading age, once children are confident with chapter books) or to share alone as a perfect Halloween read. -
Watching ‘The Worst Witch’ on TV (1998-2001) after school with my little sister was one of my favourite things to do as a kid, so when I saw this was on sale nostalgia had me purchasing it.
Overall the story was cute, perfect for young kids not yet ready for Harry Potter, but honestly, I wasn’t captivated by the story (and I really wanted to be). It’s a nice easy read, but for me the author cultivated was a tad too simplistic in its depiction and the writing didn’t weave an intricate spell over me. I’m going to keep it on my kindle to read to my very young cousins but won’t be re-reading it for pleasure myself.
My favourite part of the book has to be the illustrations – they were charming and had me potently visualising the characters – the key reason why I have given this book 3 stars rather than 2.5 stars.
99p on Amazon 14th September 2019 -
Oh too bad. I just realized I forgot to read this with an English accent. It would have been ever so much fun.
This book would have received 5 stars from my 7 & 8 & possibly 9 year old self. I would have also really, really enjoyed it if it had been read to me when I was 5 and 6, helping to read it of course.
The story is funny and sweet. It’s about a witch in her first year of boarding school for witches. The plot is predictable but I had no problem with that. Mildred is a clumsy student who seems to be in constant trouble, but of course there’s a very happy ending.
I thought the illustrations were lovely and fun. My favorite illustration is on page 73 of this edition and shows Mildred snuggling in bed with her very adorable cat, and there are other details in the picture too, but I enjoyed most of the illustrations.
I had to purchase this paperback copy. I’d love to read the rest of this series but only if I can find a way to borrow them. My libraries did not have this first one, but now I’ll be checking for the other books in the series. My thanks go to the Goodreads group A Thrilling Term at Goodreads: The Girls’ School-Story group; I found this book on their bookshelves. It was a delight to read. -
Listened to on audiobook via Listening Books!
Listening Books is a UK based charity, offering an audiobook service to listeners in the UK with a long-term illness, disability or mental health issues.
The Worst Witch is one of my childhood favourites. It follows a girl given the title of the worst witch in the school by the headmistress Miss Cackle. Mildred Hubble is in the first year and always ending up with the wrong potions or falling off her broomstick. After landing in severe trouble during a performance, she decides to run away and accidentally stumbles onto an evil plan to destroy the school. The story is fast-paced and lots of fun. The audiobook was clearly narrated, with lots of humorous moments. -
Clásico infantil lleno de los tropos típicos de los mismos (Se publicó originariamente en los años 70) pero que me ha hecho pasar un rato agradable y simpático
Para mi ha sido una lectura confort a tope, nos relata las experiencias de Mildred, la peor bruja de la Academia de brujas de Miss Cackle. Aunque es una niña alegre y despierta, con facilidad para hacer amistades, es una bruja muy torpe que no puede evitar meterse en mil y un problemas.
En fin, es una historia muy sencillita, de tan solo 80 páginas repletas de ilustraciones (maravillosas, por cierto, que realizó la propia autora), perfecta para niños de 6 o 7 años creo yo, pero también para cualquiera que sepa disfrutar de historias pequeñas pero enternecedoras.
Me encantó que la escuela fuera un castillo con sus torreones, y sí, encontré muchas similitudes en cuanto ideas con la posterior obra de Rowling, aunque lógicamente las historias en sí no tienen mucho que ver.
Es una saga de 8 libros, puedes quedarte con este o seguir, yo si puedo seguiré haciéndome con la saga, es el típico libro que me encantaría poder leer con mi sobrina cuando sea un poquito más mayor :) -
I'll only say this once: JK Rowling ripped off Worst Witch. Magical academy with main character from non-magical world raising chaos in the school, stern Potions professor, mean blonde ninny, odd headmistress, color-coded houses, and general atmosphere. Why haven't I heard this before? Mrs. Cackle is a static character who wishes she had an eighth of Dumbledore's charm. Dumbledore > Cackle
The Worst Witch is a sweet delightful children's series from the 70's where delightful and artistic British girl Mildred Hubble finds herself at a magical academy for witches. She knows nothing about being a witch and is trying to find her life around Miss Cackle's Academy with the help of her new friends Maud Spellbody & Enid Nightshade.
I've seen half of the first season on Netflix and I could not handle how adorable and wonderful this show was to watch. I hadn't realized I needed a sweet, girl-power, witchy academy in my life. I wish the books were longer and the writing wasn't as choppy but I loved it. Major kudos to the casting director of the Netflix shows because the characters look exactly like illustrations in the book. Way to go.
Character Shoutout
Hecate Hardbroom is the deputy headmistress at Mrs. Cackle and she's essentially half Filch/ half Snape. She is supposed to be quite strict and is always catching Mildred in trouble. You're not quite supposed to like her, but the actress in the show is so clever and dryly funny. She's quietly hilarious and that even comes across well in the books. She is strict because she cares about the school and she even has a kind word for Mildred when she saves the day. Headbroom is the real MVP.
Worst Witch was a wonderful surprise for me in August and I can't wait to read the rest of the series if it has the tie-in covers. The show is wonderful and I'm looking forward to all the mischief Millie will inevitably be responsible. Perhaps she may even meet the Boy Who Lived!
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UPDATE October 2021: My eight-year-old and I enjoyed this as part of our witchy novels reads leading up to Halloween. Since first reading it over a decade ago, I've read many more early chapter books of the sort and my appreciation for this one has grown. I found myself enjoying the characters much more this time around and felt the plot and pacing were spot-on for this age group. I've bumped it up to four stars and definitely recommend it for children not quite ready for Harry Potter, yet who would enjoy a book featuring young witches and a magical boarding school.
REVIEW October 2010: This is a charming little story, perfect for children just embarking on chapter books. The chapters are all short (each can be read in about five to seven minutes) and while some of the vocabulary is a bit advanced (I wouldn't call this a beginning/easy reader), it's perfect for read-aloud (especially if you can muster a British accent, haha!)
In this first book in the "Worst Witch" series, Mildred Hubble is in her first term at Miss Cackle's Academy. It's a bit like a (simplified and all-girls) Hogwarts with the various houses, flying lessons on the broomstick, potions classes, etc. Oh, and every young witch gets a cat--poor Mildred gets the only non-black one, an adorable tabby cat whom she loves no matter what. (I think the cat was my favorite part of the book. The illustrations are just so darn cute!) Mildred gets into various scrapes as she isn't exactly Hermione Granger when it comes to success in her lessons or staying out of trouble. But, she means well and it's especially unfair when the ostensibly goody-goody (but deep-down meanie) Ethel casts a spell on Mildred and makes her take the blame when things go wrong. But, Mildred interrupts a wicked plot brewing and has a chance to save the school--and her reputation!
Although I think the story is cute and is definitely great for kids who might be interested in Harry Potter but aren't quite ready for that level of book yet, I personally wasn't too captivated by it. Maybe because it did remind me a lot of Harry Potter, which I much preferred. Mildred's story wasn't really that surprising/interesting to me. I would chalk this up to being an early chapter book, but I have read some "I Can Read" or "Step into Reading" books that are much shorter/"simpler" and touched me more emotionally. That said, this was a very pleasant and quick read (perfect for a cozy, "good witch" Halloween read) and I absolutely adored the illustrations :-) -
A fond walk down memory lane, The Worst Witch books (and TV series) were some of my favourites as a child. Mildred Hubble, our clueless, clumsy protagonist gets herself into all sorts of scrapes (quite often not her fault) with best friend Maud and scruffy tabby cat companion. Most of these adventures also seem to involve archenemy Ethel and super scary Miss Hardbroom.
Super cute and spooky without the scares, it's full of fun and magic just perfect for younger readers. -
"Beat on it, Delilah!"
I'm glad I finally read the book, but I think the movie was better. Perhaps I'm biased. I've seen it a million times in the past 30... 30? Damn... Yeah, 30 years. Anyway, I still watch it every Halloween because there is just too much awesomeness in it to let a year go by without at least one viewing. Back when I had a VHS copy we recorded off HBO, it was prefaced with
the best opening in the history of television. (Don't argue with me here; you won't win. I slam dance to this shit.)
Sadly, the awesomeness that makes the movie was missing in the book. Don't get me wrong, the book was fine, but there's no terror tag; no Donna with a broom phone; no Aggie and Delilah getting bumped into the lintel at the beginning complete with a penny whistle sound effect (in fact, there's no Delilah at all, technically); no hysterics from the laughing potion; no "Good morning Miss Hardbroom, LOVELY morning" from Charlotte Rae; no ketchup scene (which is admittedly really stupid... just like everything else in the movie, but it's awesomely stupid, I tell ya!) And most importantly, the Grand Wizard is an old man, and not the dreamboat played by Tim Curry that sets all the girls' quims a-quiver in the film.
Seriously, all the old dude in the book says at one point is "Let us all begin the chanting." There's no song. I repeat, THERE'S NO SONG!... Don't tell me you don't know the song! RUBES! Here:
The greatest musical number in the history of ever.
Let that settle in.
Sadly Tim Curry wouldn't find work for two years after he made this, and you can tell by his facial expression at the 15 second mark that even he knows this is probably going to run his career headfirst into the tenth level of hell. Or maybe he needed two years to hide and recuperate. Regardless, I'm glad he gave this to the world, for it sorely needed it. We were reeling from the loss of the Challenger, the Chernobyl meltdown, the Iran Contra affair, Hands across America, and the launch of the Oprah Winfrey show. Tim Curry made it all better, and it was all possible due to this book. That alone should earn the book five stars, but historical significance cannot carry the whole enchilada, and I'm going to stick with three.
One can learn several life lessons from this. For example: bad witches who have no regard for the Witch's Code will suddenly adhere to it if you ask them and they agree to it. I've been saying for years that we as a society need to trust these hags; they're good, decent, law-abiding citizens if only you know how to talk to them... And if you buy that, then
this must've happened to you. (Yeah, I know that's from a different movie, but where else am I going to get a chance to put it on here?) No, I don't slam dance to this; the beat's all wrong. I just jam here.
I wasn't all that impressed with the writing style as it seemed a bit... amateurish? But then I found out in the afterword that Jill Murphy was only 18 when she wrote it, and I think this is fantastic for one so young. It's certainly better than anything I could do when I was 18. I think this is a great chapter book for kids just getting into them. It's cute, and it gets my recommendation.
And so does the movie. Just do yourself a favor and watch it. It's so classy you can see the whole thing on
YouTube! Not only does it have Tim Curry and Charlotte Rae as the Grand Wizard and Miss Cackle respectively, but Diana Rigg as Miss Hardbroom, and a young Fairuza Balk as Mildred Hubble.
(This was back before she was a different kind of worst witch.)
Check it out. -
Today is my 25th Birthday and I couldn't think of anything Id rather be doing than reading a book which meant so much to me when I was a kid. I loved The Worst Witch and I really believed in Mildred Hubble as a person, not just a character. I strongly associated and empathised with her through all she goes through. Being seen as awkward and clumsy, being bullied by a smarter student and being a bit of an outcast through no real fault of her own. Besides all this, Mildred remains kind and a good person who tries to do the right thing even when her life seems hopeless.
This book gave me strength and I didn't feel so alone when reading it as a child.
As the years past and shit happened I forgot about The Worst Witch and the copy I had got lost, then looking through some books on here I came across it again and my heart leapt, so I bought it and prayed that it would arrive before my 25th so I could actually read it on my birthday. I began at midnight and finished around 1.00am.
I'm overcome with emotion and I will continue to read the rest of The Worst Witch series as there are some in the series I haven't read yet and I'm very excited to get going.
This book is beautiful, meaningful and trully magical, I can't say anymore than that.
5/5 -
A simple and charming story of a student witch, with fun illustrations by the author. I've never read these, and thought we'd give it a try as a read-aloud. The kids loved it, and so did I, but it was very short!
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در کنار
گروشام گرینچ و جام نحس،
سرای جادوگران
و
راز سکوی شمارهی سیزده، این چهارمین کتابیه که کاملا مشخصه رولینگ از روش کپیبرداری کرده. مدرسهی شبانهروزی، کلاه و لباس فرم و قلم پر و طومار، کلاسهای ورد و معجون سازی، رابطهی بد شخصیت اصلی با معلم معجونسازیش، حادثهی بدی که حین جاروسواری برای شخصیت اصلی میفته، نجات مدرسه از شر خطر بزرگی که تهدیدش میکنه، حتی نگه داشتن حیوان در مدرسه به عنوان رسم قدیمی.
درک میکنم چرا تا مدتها هیچ ناشری چاپ هری پاتر رو قبول نمیکرده. چیزی که درک نمیکنم قدرت رسانه و تبلیغات در خوروندن یک اثر چهلتکه و بدون ارزش ادبی به انبوهی از مردم دنیاست. هیچ اعتراضی هم به این قضیه نشده. یا شده و با پول حل شده؟ پول. پول. پول. دنیا رو پول میچرخونه، سوار مخاطبهای خوابالو. -
Heard of this book for the first time today on a podcast, and apparently it's
one of the books that might have influenced JK Rowling's writing. Just from reading a couple of pages as a Kindle sample I can already see how much of HP (possibly) came from this: from the school for witches that sits amidst a forest, to the flying classes taught the first day of school, the black school uniforms, the pets that are allowed just because they are tradition (cats and owls), the witch/wizarding exam they have to take in the fifth year (OWLs for Harry Potter, Witch Certificate in this book), and so much more. Again, that's just the first two pages so imagine how much more there is! And this book was written in 1974, keep that in mind (because sadly, a LOT of people accuse the author of ripping off JKR... other way around).
Also, there are SO many tv spinoffs of this, I'm surprised I had never heard of a single one before!
The Worst Witch (1998-2001)
Weirdsister College (sequel to the above)
The Worst Witch (2017 series)
The Worst Witch (1986 film)
And
here's a great interview with the author where she talks about a lot, including how she's had cancer twice now. She is such an inspiration.
Okay, brb while I go
rip off this book myself and become a billionaire
Review: This was a really quick read, and the whole time I was reading, I kept seeing all of the Harry Potter comparisons in my head. They sing a school song at the beginning, there's a chief wizard who is very old and has a long white beard, and before the first year is over, Mildred has a broom that gets out of her control (exactly like Harry's does in the first book!). The similarities are just too much. I don't know how JKR got away with that.
Besides that, this isn't the most memorable book for me. I guess it's more of a children's book and I couldn't get into the story that much. It did have wonderful illustrations throughout. And I am glad I have read it. I'm excited to read more 'classic' fantasy novels that influenced Harry Potter. -
The Worst Witch follows the adventures of Mildred Hubble, a witch studying at Miss Cackle's Academy. Mildred is a complete scatterbrain and keeps doing the wrong thing, though not by mistake. Of course, she is punished by the teachers all the time. There is also a wicked witch rival, who is a rival for no reason. Once, after the rivalry went terribly wrong, Mildred was blamed. Upset, she tries to go home, and ends up stumbling over a plot to harm the school. She foils it, and becomes a heroine again!
The book is very simplistic but humorous and I probably would have enjoyed this more if I had read this as a small child. Reading as an adult, I just ended up being bored by all the plot holes. The Netflix series of the same name, based on these books, appears to be much more interesting. -
Leitura rapidíssima, The Worst Witch de Jill Murphy (que faleceu recentemente agora no último agosto) é um clássico da literatura infantil inglesa que originou uma série de 8 livros e várias adaptações audiovisuais, mas que fora do mundo anglofono não é tão conhecido ou talvez seja conhecido mais como sendo a grande influência para Harry Potter, cujas similaridades são inegáveis.
Surgido da experiência em estudar em internato para meninas é um ótimo meio de identificação coming-of-age para garotas cuja autoestima não seja das melhores, como é tão comum na adolescência, além de apresentar um mundo ético a ser seguido com verossimilhança na fantasia em que está inserido.
Agora deixa eu ir lá assistir a adaptação com Tim Curry, Fairuza Balk e Dianne Rigg que está completando 35 anos de lançamento hoje. -
I really don't know what to rate this because it was my whole childhood but 10 years later I'm not sure how to rate it...
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This was so cute. It was my first time reading the books, but I loved the Tim Curry movie when I was younger so I kept picturing the movie scenes as I read(totally watching it this week now).
I'm def going to read the rest of the series.
...also, jk rowling seems to have gotten *a lot* of ideas from this series/book. hmm. -
Originally published in 1974, this story of a young girl away at a witch's academy has, together with its sequels, spawned both
a television film and
a television series, and is also often cited (much to Jill Murphy's chagrin, apparently) as an influence on the subsequent
Harry Potter series. Mildred Hubble is the eponymous "worst witch," a first-year student at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches, who is always getting into trouble of one kind or another. Clumsy in her flying lessons, forgetful in her potions classes, her never-ending mistakes and crises make her instructors wonder whether she will even pass the Witch's Higher Certificate, when the time comes. Ethel Hallow, by contrast, is the sort of student who gets everything right - top in all of her classes, an accomplished flyer, and teacher's pet - and when Mildred alienates her, the real trouble begins...
I enjoyed reading The Worst Witch, which (sorry Ms. Murphy, but the comparison is simply unavoidable) put me strongly in mind of J.K. Rowling's similar work. It wasn't just the broad strokes of the story - a young person attending a magical academy - that felt familiar, but some of specific elements as well, from the irascible dark-haired potions instructor (Miss Hardbroom here, Snape in Harry Potter) with whom the protagonist is in conflict, to the episode in which Mildred's broom is enchanted during the Hallowe'en display, which was so reminiscent of the episode in the first Harry Potter novel, in which Harry's broom is hexed during a Quidditch match. This similarity of theme and incident was really quite interesting, as it allows the reader to place the celebrated Harry Potter in an existing tradition of fantastic school stories, while also presenting its own take on the theme. Leaving these issues aside, this was an engaging, albeit slight tale - at 107 pages, I would describe it as sitting somewhere between a beginner's chapter-book and a proper middle-grade novel - with an entertaining story, an appealing heroine, and charming artwork (done by Murphy herself). Despite my recommendation line - I do think this would make an excellent selection for the young reader not yet prepared for the Harry Potter books - I believe that this classic deserves to be read for its own sake. -
One of the many Easter eggs in Kraken. Most recruits at the magical police squad's training center refer to it as "Hogwarts". But a few call it "Miss Cackle's" and look superior when the others don't get the reference.
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I have no idea why I haven't read this as a kid but better late than never, right? :)
I really enjoyed it but I definitely think it would be more appreciated by a younger audience. -
Like most Americans, I came to The Worst Witch through the television series. Mildred Hubble and Maud are just as charming as on the show, and I loved this first book in a series.
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I would have loved this as a kid (I am very much the age of the kids for whom it was originally written), but never heard of it, probably a result of the old "British book not crossing the Atlantic" syndrome. (My mother had great trouble finding the much better known Famous Five books.) I read, instead, the probable American equivalent, Eleanor Estes'
The Witch Family.
However, as I am no longer 7 or 8, I can't really give this one more than 3 stars. Charming illustrations. -
Loved this book as a kid in the good old days before Harry Potter turned up. I never seemed to do well at school and I always felt for Mildred, kindred spirits and both of us pretty. How she deals with the nasty Ethel is brilliant, recently read this to my daughter and Ethel's comeuppance still made me laugh.
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Rezension kommt am 23. August 😗 Aber: Es eignet sich perfekt zum Vorlesen & zum Erstlesen auch wenn ich bei ein paar Wörtern der Meinung war, dass die viele Kinder einfach in ihrem Alter noch nicht kennen. Dennoch ein super süßes, kleines kurzes Buch, was ich Kindern oder Eltern nur empfehlen kann 💙
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3.5 Stars
The Worst Witch still holds the spot as being one of my favorite middle grade novels. I first read this series when I was seven years old and now 13 years later I decided to re read.
I loved it just as much as the first time, though maybe less just for the fact that I’m not a child obsessed with all things witches anymore( kinda) but it was still a fun read.
I loved Mildred, the school and of course Tabby( who I named my cat after) she is a tabby cat aswell. Seven year old me thought she was cool having the same cat as Mildred.
My only complaint is the illustrations. Not all of them. Most are great. It’s Maud. She is said to be tubby and yet drawn skinny? This doesn’t seem to be a big deal but I’m telling you now it’s harmful to kids. It was harmful to me who was and still is fat. I felt even at thy age that I was huge and that picture didn’t help.
Overall it was a good read and I loved most things but how maud is drawn. I’d still recommend this because it is fun. -
This is another book series where I was introduced to it through the TV show adaptation. Seems to be a trend with me.
I like to call this series the female Harry Potter and yes, I am aware that this came out a good 2- 3 decades before JKR's smash hit.
However this is still a delightfully charming, albeit predictable series about She Neville............er I mean Mildred Hubble as she traverses through her years at Hogwarts...........I mean Cackle's Academy, as she learns to control her magical powers.
Mildred is a clumsy child, very awkward, rather absent minded and is always in trouble. She is a walking calamity, forever causing chaos and destruction. Though she does mean well.
Mildred is an outcast from the start. She is presumably a Muggle born, having earned a scholarship through a creative writing essay rather than going there because of her heritage. As such, she did not have the magic centered upbringing her peers had. Though she makes up for this through her creativity and tenacity.
Mildred also somehow manages to get a Tabby cat, instead of the traditional Black cat, like everyone else. Despite this, she loves her cat and sees it as an outcast/misfit like herself. Although Tabby can cause her trouble from time to time.
Mildred is aided by her best friend Maud Moonshine who is far more down to Earth than her friends, although often finds herself caught up in their antics. Another one of Mildred's friends is Enid Nightshade, a prankster who is even more adept at getting into trouble than Mildred is.
Mildred has an enemy of course and has to face off against the "evil" stuck up Ethel Hallow (the she equivalent of Draco Malfoy.) She also has to try not to end up on the wrong side of the intimating and rather strict Miss Hardbroom (the female equivalent of Professor Snape mixed with Professor McGonnogal and a bit of Sheldon Cooper.)
Both the book and TV portrayals used to scare the hell out me as a kid.
Mildred often overcomes her obstacles and triumphs, much to the delight of the somewhat lenient Miss Cackle, who sees the potential in all her students, even Mildred.
It might not be as exciting as Harry Potter, but it's sweet and charming and has a very likable albeit cooky and offbeat cast. Even the scary Miss Hardbroom is well meaning enough not to be villain like. -
My aunt told me about this book a while ago. My sisters and I watched a few epesodes of the tv show, but then, we stopped. I kind of wanted to at least read the first book before I finished it. The book is a lot different than the tv show, though. The tv show gives more background information.
A while later, one of my friends, who had gotten goodreads not long before, told me that Dad had put The Worst Witch on his Want To Read shelf. I wanted to read it, too, although it wasn't on my shelf.
I told Dad about it the next morning, and he said that someone had recommended it to him. We wanted to read it for a long time after that, but we never got around to it until now.
I am going to ask him questions about the book, and he will answer them. However, before I start with the interview, I just want to say this. The Worst Witch is crazy similar to Harry Potter. When I started watching the tv show, I told my aunt that I thought that Jill Murphy must have based it off Harry Potter because of how similar it is. She said that actually, The Worst Witch came before Harry Potter and that J. K. Rowling hadn't mentioned it being the inspiration. I was surprised, but from what I had heard, I just figured that it was just a cooincidence.
After reading the book, though, I know that there is no way that J. K. Rowling could have just cooincidentally writen a book so similar to The Worst Witch. We'll disguss this more in the interview, too.
Well, I'm going to ask the questions now, but warning. There will be spoilers ahead! If you don't want spoilers, stop reading here!
Me: "What was your favorite part of the book?"
Dad: (thinking) "Good question... Mmm. Maybe the snails, or maybe the broom with the kitten. I also really liked how Snape made Harry stay after potions class."
Me: "I thought those parts were good, too. Also, I noticed you mentioned a similarity there. Who was really being kept after potions class?"
Dad: "Mmmmm. I don't know. Ron, Hermione. Oh wait... Wrong book. I guess it is a truth universeally known that potions teachers in schools for witches and wizards are really strict."
Me: "Yeah, and the class is really hard."
Dad: "What about you? What was your favorite part? Am I allowed to ask you questions, too?"
Me: "Yes. Also, I don't know why I always forget to ask this until the second or third question, but first, why don't you say what the book is about?"
Dad: "Okay. The book is about an awkward young witch named Mildred whose going to school at Hogwarts... I mean, Miss Cackles School of Witches. She gets along with some witches. She doesn't get along with others, and, spoiler allert, she saves the school from a great evil."
Me: "Yes. I liked that summary. Now, I'll answer the question you asked me. My favorite part might have been when they got the kittens or when Miss Hardbroom heard what Maud and Mildred were saying when she was invisible, and she could hear them at the end. Now, you mentioned a lot of similarities to Harry Potter. Can you list some of them?"
Dad: "Oh, man. I think you would be better about that than I would. I think you should list them."
Me: "First of all, as you said before, both had mean potions teachers. Also, Mildred saved the school. Not only that, but in the beginning, it mentioned that some schools had owls, but they decided to have cats instead."
Dad: "What about this? That part with the broom where they were flying and Ethel was muttering some sort of curse under her breath and knocked Mildred off her broom. That was dang near identical to Quirrel and that quiditch match."
"Yeah. No kidding. I don't think she was mchttering under her breath, though. I think she, like, gave the broom instructions beforehand. Although, it was still crazy similar. Another thing is that Miss Cackle was a little like Dumbledore, and Ethel was a little like Malfoy and Hermione before Harry, Ron, and Hermione became friends. She was mean to Mildred, and she was really good in school."
Dad: "Yeah. There's a whole, whole lot. I bet there's a website that has all the similarities."
Me: "I wouldn't be surprised."
Dad: "Hey, you know what I think?"
Me: "What?"
Dad: "I think Jill Murphy stole it from J. K. Rowling."
Me: "How, if she got it beforehand?"
Dad: "I think Jill Murphy had a time turner and stole it from J. K. Rowling, went back to 1974 and wrote it, and that's why we're only hearing about it now because she only just went back in time."
Me: "That's an interesting thought. Anything else you want to say about the book?"
Dad: "Which one do you like more? The Worst Witch, or Harry Potter, and do you think Jill Murphy should sue J. K. Rowling for copyright infringement?"
Me: "You know, that's hard to answer. First of all, I really like Harry Potter because I heard about it first, but yet, I really like The Worst Witch because it was created first, and I think it's interesting, just like Harry Potter. Also, I'm not sure if Jill Murphy should sue J. K. Rowling or not. I don't want her to, but there are so many similarities. What do you think?"
Dad: "I think they should both be proud of what they did. Dave Eggers said, "We are all feeding off of each other all of the time." So my vote is not to sue, but J. K. Rowling should acknowledge the debt of gratitude she has to Jill Murphy."
Me: "I like that response. I guess I kind of thought the same thing, but I just didn't know how to word it."
Dad: "I've got a question for you."
Me: "What?"
Dad: "How many stars?"
Me: "I want you to decide this time."
Dad: "Nope, and here's why. I'm going to put my stars on my review, and I will see your stars on your review."
Me: "I want to give it five stars."
Dad: "Sounds good."
Me: "Anything else you want to say?"
Dad: "I recommend the book wildly!!"
Me: "Me, too." -
Mildred is a witch but she is not very good at it. In the end however she's able to save the whole school from the evil witches' attack.
The book is a nice quick read but also very predictable. It's a bit of a Harry Potter version for younger kids, but mothing I enjoyed immensely.
