Jill Murphy’s Followers (337)

Jill Murphy

Born

in London, England, The United Kingdom

July 05, 1949

Died

August 18, 2021

Genre

Children's Books

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Jill Murphy was a London-born English children's author, best known for The Worst Witch series and the Large Family picture books. She has been described as "one of the most engaging writers and illustrators for children in the land."

Jill Murphy was born in London and attended the Ursuline Convent in Wimbledon which, together with the boarding school stories she enjoyed reading, provided much of the material and inspiration Miss Cackle's Academy in the The Worst Witch, which she started when she was 15. She put the book on hold as she attended both Chelsea and Croydon Art Schools, but continued to write it whilst living in a village in Togo, West Africa for a year and then whilst working as a nanny back at home. The book was published when Jill Murphy was a London-born English children's author, best known for The Worst Witch series and the Large Family picture books. She has been described as "one of the most engaging writers and illustrators for children in the land."

Jill Murphy was born in London and attended the Ursuline Convent in Wimbledon which, together with the boarding school stories she enjoyed reading, provided much of the material and inspiration Miss Cackle's Academy in the The Worst Witch, which she started when she was 15. She put the book on hold as she attended both Chelsea and Croydon Art Schools, but continued to write it whilst living in a village in Togo, West Africa for a year and then whilst working as a nanny back at home. The book was published when Jill turned 24 and proved an instant success. However, Jill continued working as a nanny until the publication of The Worst Witch Strikes Again prompted her to devote herself to full-time writing. The Worst Witch stories have become some of the most outstandingly successful titles on the Young Puffin paperback list and have sold more than 3 million copies. They were also made into a major ITV series. She was also well known for her picture books and was commended in the 1980 Kate Greenaway Medal for Peace at Last. A Quiet Night In was shortlisted for the same medal in 1994. She was perhaps best known for the very popular Mr and Mrs Large picture books, which detail the domestic chaos of an elephant family. Five Minute's Peace won the 1987 Parents Magazine Best Books for Babies Award, as well as being shortlisted for the 1986 Children's Book Award. All in One Piece was highly commended for the 1987 Kate Greenaway Award and shortlisted for the 1987 Children's Book Award. The Last Noo-noo won the 0-5 category of the 1995 Smarties Book Prize and in the same year was shortlisted for the English 4-11 Outstanding Children's Book of the Year, going on to win the 1996 Sheffield Children's Book Award. It won the 1996 Gateshead Gold Award. In the same year it was adapted as a play and performed at the Polka Theatre, London. ...more

Combine Editions
Jill Murphy’s books

Average rating: 4.05 · 54,766 ratings · 3,190 reviews · 86 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Worst Witch (Worst Witch, #1) 3.96 avg rating — 22,754 ratings — published 1974 — 105 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Peace at Last 4.29 avg rating — 5,108 ratings — published 1980 — 66 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Worst Witch Strikes Again (Worst Witch, #2) 3.96 avg rating — 5,249 ratings — published 1981 — 79 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch (Worst Witch, #3) 4.04 avg rating — 4,050 ratings — published 1982 — 78 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Five Minutes' Peace 4.26 avg rating — 3,199 ratings — published 1986 — 83 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Worst Witch All at Sea (Worst Witch, #4) 4.03 avg rating — 3,145 ratings — published 1994 — 70 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Worst Witch Saves the Day (Worst Witch, #5) 4.06 avg rating — 2,259 ratings — published 1999 — 45 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Worst Witch to the Rescue (Worst Witch, #6) 4.16 avg rating — 1,669 ratings — published 2007 — 40 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star (Worst Witch, #7) 4.24 avg rating — 1,478 ratings — published 2013 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Whatever Next! 4.29 avg rating — 949 ratings — published 1983 — 40 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Jill Murphy…

Series by Jill Murphy

The Worst Witch (8 books)
by

Jill Murphy

4.01 avg rating — 42,752 ratings

Bear Family (3 books)
by

Jill Murphy

4.28 avg rating — 6,163 ratings

The Large Family (11 books)
by

Jill Murphy

4.13 avg rating — 4,857 ratings

Marlon (2 books)
by

Jill Murphy

3.96 avg rating — 231 ratings

Quotes by Jill Murphy (?)

“Any other school would be thrilled because they were getting some vital new piece of equipment, but we're all delirious with joy because they've finally put glass in the windows.”
― Jill Murphy, The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star

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“on the wrong errands.” “That’s not very nice, Ethel,” said Enid. “Anyway, they’ll want someone kind and helpful as their mentor, not a meanie like you, and H.B. knows what you’re like after you pinched Mildred’s project last term.” “That was just a silly misunderstanding,” snapped Ethel. “She didn’t need to make such a stupid fuss about it — it was only a joke that got out of hand.”
― Jill Murphy, The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star

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“Drill to stay on as class teacher to this year’s Form Four. We are trying hard to find a new gym mistress for later in the term, so Form Four can count themselves lucky that Miss Drill will be able to keep them fit and healthy until gym classes are up and running again.” Maud and Enid glanced sideways at Mildred, who was looking desperate. “During the holidays,” said Miss Hardbroom, “there have been exciting improvements in all the bedrooms. Glass has been fitted in every pupil’s window.” There were whoops of joy from the entire school, except the bewildered first-years, who had no idea that their bedrooms would not have had proper windows in the first place; but there was great rejoicing from all the old hands as they imagined snuggling up in a cosy bed, without rain and wind blowing onto their pillows. In particularly bad weather, they had all had to move their beds away from the open stone windows. “Settle down now, girls!” barked Miss Hardbroom. “What is it, Mildred?”
― Jill Murphy, The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star

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See all Jill Murphy's quotes »

Polls

For those who didn't get accepted into Hogwarts, what school/camp is your second choice?

J.K. Rowling

Camp Half-Blood

Rick Riordan

1079 votes, 29.8%

Screw school--I'm going to Narnia!

C.S. Lewis

424 votes, 11.7%

Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women

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193 votes, 5.3%

St. Vladimir's Academy

Richelle Mead

192 votes, 5.3%

Shadowhunter Academy

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144 votes, 4.0%

The School for Good and Evil

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134 votes, 3.7%

Foxfire Academy

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116 votes, 3.2%

Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality

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81 votes, 2.2%

Sunnydale High

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus Vol. 3 by Eric Powell

Joss Whedon

65 votes, 1.8%

Jade Mountain Academy

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64 votes, 1.8%

Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened

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59 votes, 1.6%

Hecate Hall

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52 votes, 1.4%

The House of Night

P.C. Cast

50 votes, 1.4%

Shadow Falls

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48 votes, 1.3%

The Covenant

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48 votes, 1.3%

Ever After High

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43 votes, 1.2%

Battle School

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42 votes, 1.2%

School of America in Paris (SOAP)

Stephanie Perkins

40 votes, 1.1%

Jedi Academy

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39 votes, 1.1%

Artime

Lisa McMann

37 votes, 1.0%

Roke School of Wizardry

Ursula K. Le Guin

34 votes, 0.9%

Mythos Academy

Jennifer Estep

33 votes, 0.9%

Spy School

Stuart Gibbs

33 votes, 0.9%

Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined

Charlie N. Holmberg

32 votes, 0.9%

Princess Academy

Shannon Hale

29 votes, 0.8%

Master High School

Lisi Harrison

28 votes, 0.8%

Bloor Academy

Jenny Nimmo

27 votes, 0.7%

Lyle House

Kelley Armstrong

26 votes, 0.7%

Miss Cackle's Academy

Jill Murphy

26 votes, 0.7%

Ever After School

Shelby Bach

25 votes, 0.7%

Mount Olympus Academy

Joan Holub

24 votes, 0.7%

The Collegium

Mercedes Lackey

23 votes, 0.6%

Fairy Tale Reform School

Jen Calonita

22 votes, 0.6%

Sword & Cross

Lauren Kate

21 votes, 0.6%

Princess School

Jane B. Mason

16 votes, 0.4%

Bunson and Lacroix's Boys Polytechnique

Gail Carriger

16 votes, 0.4%

Spence Academy

Libba Bray

16 votes, 0.4%

Larwood House

Diana Wynne Jones

15 votes, 0.4%

Axis Institute for World Domination

Catherine Jinks

15 votes, 0.4%

Great Rapscott School for the Daughters of Busy Parents

Elise Primavera

14 votes, 0.4%

Dunwiddle Magic School

Sarah Mlynowski

14 votes, 0.4%

Arkwell Academy

Mindee Arnett

13 votes, 0.4%

Grimm Academy

Joan Holub

13 votes, 0.4%

The Academy

Tera Lynn Childs

11 votes, 0.3%

Avalon High

Meg Cabot

11 votes, 0.3%

Stranje House

Kathleen Baldwin

11 votes, 0.3%

Zetes Institute

L.J. Smith

10 votes, 0.3%

Trident Academy

Debbie Dadey

10 votes, 0.3%

Dunhammond Conservatory

Adi Rule

10 votes, 0.3%

Academy for Monsters

Jennifer Finney Boylan

9 votes, 0.2%

St. Sophia's

Chloe Neill

8 votes, 0.2%

School of Fear

Gitty Daneshvari

8 votes, 0.2%

The Academy of the Airs

Toby Bishop

8 votes, 0.2%

Nerine Academy

Elissa Sussman

8 votes, 0.2%

Greenlaw College

Caroline Stevermer

7 votes, 0.2%

Wizard's Hall

Jane Yolen

7 votes, 0.2%

Animalgam Academy

Aimee Carter

7 votes, 0.2%

Evernight Academy

Claudia Gray

6 votes, 0.2%

Bathory Academy

Nancy A. Collins

5 votes, 0.1%

Winterhaven

Kristi Cook

5 votes, 0.1%

Cragbridge Hall

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5 votes, 0.1%

Dr. Critchlore's School for Minions

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4 votes, 0.1%

Academy for Earth Space Command

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3 votes, 0.1%

3618 total votes

93 comments

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Jill Murphy’s Followers (337)

Jill Murphy

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Topics Mentioning This Author

Combine Editions
Jill Murphy’s books