You Can't Make Me Go To Witch School!

By Author / Illustrator

Em Lynas, Jamie Littler

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

Publisher

Nosy Crow Ltd

ISBN

9781788000130

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

03-08-2017

Synopsis

Shortlisted for the 2018 North Somerset Teachers' Book AwardsRelated teaching resource pack available on the Nosy Crow website.Daisy Wart, a Shakespearean actress with grand ambitions, is FURIOUS at being left at Toadspit Towers School for Witches by her grandmother. SHE IS NOT A WITCH! But Daisy soon becomes drawn into the mysteries of life at Toadspit, and finds that she even has a few magical surprises up her sleeve... The adventures of Daisy the reluctant witch are perfect for fans of magical school stories.The first in the spellbinding, spine-tingling school series in which Daisy Wart creates massive magical mayhem! Perfect for fans of magical school stories. Look out for the other adventures:Help! I'm Trapped at Witch School!Get Me Out Of Witch School!All brilliantly illustrated by Jamie Littler.

Reviews

Daisy Wart - or Twinkle - is a Shakespearean actress who has been taken to a witch school by her granny who believes she truly is a witch. Whilst Daisy is on an epic mission to try to escape from this prison she meets some nice as well as some not so nice witches and discovers some very new things about herself. I really loved this book and couldn't put it down, I would recommend it to 8+.

Suggested Reading Age 7+

Daisy Wart does not want to go to Witch School and thinks she is not really a witch at all, that the whole thing is a big mistake and she is really an actress. She is however, sent to Witch School with very little chance of escape, particularly to get out in time for her Shakespearean performance in a couple of nights time. There are the usual group of fellow pupil witches and teacher witches and in many ways this story follows a very familiar path, though one with a humorous twist. This book is the start of a series of stories - set in Witch School - as Daisy discovers her true destiny and life at a rather unusual school. This is an easy and enjoyable read, the 232 pages interspersed with great illustrations by Jamie Littler. These illustrations are full of charm and wit and serve the story well, particularly the small draping of cobwebs and other slightly magical bits on page corners as well as the pictures of the characters themselves. There are echoes of The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy, as well as other school for Witches books, but this is an original tale. The climax might be a little too scary for the fainthearted, but the book opens some interesting ideas, such as the nature of friendship, rebellion and conformity as well as standing up to bullying behaviour. This book would be especially good for comparing books on a similar theme, but also for discussions on when it is right to break the rules, and whether the rules are fit for purpose in the first place. 232 pages / Ages 8+ / Reviewed by Jacqueline Harris, school librarian.