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The Worst Witch #5
The Worst Witch Saves the Day
Something is up at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches: Mildred Hubble's new form teacher is really weird. Or is she? Investigating isn't easy, especially when Mildred's potions go wrong, the class know-it-all insists on being 'helpful' and her beloved cat is having a nervous breakdown...
156 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
83 people are currently reading
1336 people want to read
About the author
Jill Murphy
88 books341 followersJill 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
May 22, 2017
I have always loved these books and finding one you haven't read before is always a delight. Everything you could want in a series of children's books.
December 29, 2023
The best thing to have done would have been for Mildred to change herself back once she was safely out of bedroom, but she found it difficult to focus her ant brain on the intricacies of the reversal spell, especially as she had stumbled across a large cake crumb just outside the door and immediately felt an overwhelming desire to start dragging it back underneath the door towards the airing cupboard.
After being severely displeased with the previous installment, I'm happy to announce that I enjoyed this one! Mildred, Maud and Enid are in Third Form now and have new teacher Miss Granite and from the beginning you can see that there is something fishy about her, which makes for a nice mystery element! (I was kind of reminded of the Alastor Moody plotline from HP and the Goblet of Fire, but... things are a bit different.) There is also a plotline that really reminded me of Anne of Green Gables which I obviously loved. Ethel Hallow is still described in a way that's completely ridiculous, but Miss Hardbroom seems to gain some humanity in this one and I'm so glad for it, because... as you know if you read my previous reviews, I... might be a little too invested into Miss Hardbroom?
Also! Also, in this installment Miss Hardbroom goes to play evening chess with Miss Pentangle and returns at two in the morning! As you can tell I have my own theories about this meeting...
Clearly, I had a good time with this, looking toward the next book! I'm now getting to the completely unknown territory, because I didn't read the last three books in the series before.
January 1, 2020
What a brilliant story! Mildred often finds herself in a spot of bother exactly when it’s needed!! I don’t know what the Academy would do without her.
I don’t think I can stand much more of Ethel though - someone really needs to put her into her place as she’s driving me nuts.
Miss Hardbroom seems to be softening towards the girls a little bit 😂😂
I don’t think I can stand much more of Ethel though - someone really needs to put her into her place as she’s driving me nuts.
Miss Hardbroom seems to be softening towards the girls a little bit 😂😂
January 22, 2018
Another adventure for Mildred and Co., and this time people have the grace to point out that most of Mildred's accidents aren't her fault. This story starts with a hair disaster and ends with people being transformed into ants and snails, and also features a really weird new teacher.
April 25, 2017
Michael, Gregory and I listened to this story as an ebook. It was our first introduction to the escapades of Mildred Hubble and her friends and it was very entertaining. Mildred is the worst witch in Miss Cackles Academy of Witchcraft and has a history of getting herself into impossible scrapes. Everything Mildred does seem to lead to complete disaster for her and her pets. Mildred's class has a new teacher and she is a very unusual witch with an extraordinarily high pitched voice and a very unorthodox way of teaching. Mildred runs into trouble with a hair curling iron and this ultimately leads to her discovering some rather interesting things about her new teacher, Miss Granite. Can Mildred, with the help of her tabby cat and her friends, manage to save the teachers of Miss Cackle's Academy from a dastardly plot?
September 3, 2017
These books have every single feeling all at once. I can laugh, I can cry, they are funny, they are scary. The worst witch gets into a bit of trouble, but she often saves the day. These books remind me that sometimes mistakes are good and accidents can lead the way to success.
August 10, 2017
It's the first day of the winter term of Mildred's junior year. Ethel is the top student at the school and really hates Mildred and will do anything she can to get her into trouble. Ethel cuts Mildred's hair and messes it up on purpose. A hair-growing lotion sort of gets out of control and once again Mildred is in trouble.
Then there's the new teacher, Miss Granite, who never really teaches anything at all. There's a dark reason for that and Mildred is the one to uncover it. Mildred somehow needs to find a way to escape a closet and stop something terrible from happening, assuming anyone will believe her in the first place.
All that is good fun but there is something that did bother me (nothing like this has happened in any of the other books, fortunately.) Miss Hardbroom makes the girls write home once a week and say how wonderful everything is (when it isn't, especially with no heat in the building). She then reads the letters the girl wrote before she mails them.
That's more the manner of a villainous dictator then an actual teacher. Miss Hardbroom can be very difficult to deal with, yes, but this writing what you're told to write and then checking it doesn't really have any place in this series. It's too over-the-top. I would have given this a 4 rating but I'm dropping it to a 2 rating because of this.
Then there's the new teacher, Miss Granite, who never really teaches anything at all. There's a dark reason for that and Mildred is the one to uncover it. Mildred somehow needs to find a way to escape a closet and stop something terrible from happening, assuming anyone will believe her in the first place.
All that is good fun but there is something that did bother me (nothing like this has happened in any of the other books, fortunately.) Miss Hardbroom makes the girls write home once a week and say how wonderful everything is (when it isn't, especially with no heat in the building). She then reads the letters the girl wrote before she mails them.
That's more the manner of a villainous dictator then an actual teacher. Miss Hardbroom can be very difficult to deal with, yes, but this writing what you're told to write and then checking it doesn't really have any place in this series. It's too over-the-top. I would have given this a 4 rating but I'm dropping it to a 2 rating because of this.
November 12, 2015
This left me so exasperated! Mildred never retaliates when Ethel is spiteful to her, which probably makes Mildred a better person than me, but the fact that Mildred also trusts Ethel after everything she's done is downright alarming. Case in point: in this book Mildred lets Ethel chop off all her hair, then she drinks a regrowth potion that Ethel oh so kindly brews for her. Mildred, you deserved everything you got with that one. I also wanted to facepalm when Mildred turns herself into an ant -- and then promptly forgets the counter spell to turn herself back. The situation with Miss Granite was ridiculous as well. I may be judging this book harshly because it came out in 2005 and so I never read it as a child, but I'd like to think that even my 7-year-old self could have seen through Miss Granite's "disguise".
August 29, 2015
Zachary loved this. I think this is one of my favourite books in the WW series.
August 18, 2024
The Worst Witch series is incredibly delightful; if you want to get a young reader into fantasy, this is the series. It’s been thought to have inspired J.K. Rowling to write Harry Potter, but also in this particular book, The Worst Witch Saves the Day which is no. 5 in the series, there are heavy Roald Dahl vibes.
The illustrations peppered throughout each book are whimsical. Ethel is the series’ Draco Malfoy; she’s quite insufferable. I am really enjoying the arc of Miss Hardbroom (who is similar to Severus Snape). Mildred is the scrappiest witch, and I adore her and her friends, Maud and Enid, with my whole heart. I’ve been reading one book on Sundays; I have three more books to go and I’ll be sad when I don’t have a Worst Witch book to read on Sundays.
The illustrations peppered throughout each book are whimsical. Ethel is the series’ Draco Malfoy; she’s quite insufferable. I am really enjoying the arc of Miss Hardbroom (who is similar to Severus Snape). Mildred is the scrappiest witch, and I adore her and her friends, Maud and Enid, with my whole heart. I’ve been reading one book on Sundays; I have three more books to go and I’ll be sad when I don’t have a Worst Witch book to read on Sundays.
August 14, 2018
Another great adventure with Mildred Hubble. As I recommended this for young readers, I just wanted to note that Ethel is just a bit meaner to Mildred in this one: “Had a brain transplant during the hols (holidays)?” Ethel is always mean, but it’s usually just her being competitive and dismissive, rather than outright nasty. Also, it mentions Miss Hardbroom possibly having sherry. Otherwise, it’s just as lighthearted and fun as the others!
July 8, 2018
Review to come :)
November 1, 2020
This has been my favorite book since the first one.
September 21, 2022
Poor Mildred getting as usual in some troubles but I love it how she always ends up the heroine of the story. It was fun and enjoyable, I love this witch.
November 23, 2019
So wonderful to read the Worst Witch again. I now want to get all the books for a re-read!
December 9, 2020
Haha, I don't know why I find this one so funny. I guess the idea of the hair just taking over completely. Also, I am super jealous because I have been losing so much hair! Lucky Mildred!
July 5, 2020
Loving tabby more than ever but think that the whole snail thing was recycled
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2022
Ethel can't keep getting away with this.
July 10, 2017
Jill Murphy wrote the first Worst Witch story, according to Wikipedia, while age 15 and still in boarding school. Perhaps that's what makes Mildred Hubble so realistic and so identifiable emotionally. While we don't seem to run into too many witches these days, we all know Mildred - if we're not Mildred ourselves. Trying to be invisible while coming up with impractical schemes for miraculous success while failing utterly at both.
In "saves the day" - which is Book #5, Mildred returns to school for her third year. She has an idea to end her hair troubles - which doesn't end well. And although she's practiced flying, she still has difficulty with her timid cat, and taunts from the school social perfectionist Ethel Hallow (we've all encountered her, too, I'm sure) don't help. There's also a rather odd new instructor, Miss Granite, who doesn't seem to care how the students spend their time - and Miss Hardbroom won't stand that for long. But interestingly enough, it's Mildred that's the one that has the most suspicions about Miss Granite.
I think the things I like best about Mildred, aside from the fact that she's far from perfect, is that she's independent and perseveres. She wins a few, and she loses a few, but she keeps going, learning the best she can, and comes through - maybe not the best witch, but she's still going to be a witch. When you're young, and haven't had many defeats - so that each challenge seems like the end - this is a good perspective to have.
In "saves the day" - which is Book #5, Mildred returns to school for her third year. She has an idea to end her hair troubles - which doesn't end well. And although she's practiced flying, she still has difficulty with her timid cat, and taunts from the school social perfectionist Ethel Hallow (we've all encountered her, too, I'm sure) don't help. There's also a rather odd new instructor, Miss Granite, who doesn't seem to care how the students spend their time - and Miss Hardbroom won't stand that for long. But interestingly enough, it's Mildred that's the one that has the most suspicions about Miss Granite.
I think the things I like best about Mildred, aside from the fact that she's far from perfect, is that she's independent and perseveres. She wins a few, and she loses a few, but she keeps going, learning the best she can, and comes through - maybe not the best witch, but she's still going to be a witch. When you're young, and haven't had many defeats - so that each challenge seems like the end - this is a good perspective to have.
February 14, 2016
And we are at book 5, only 2 more books to go before I am completely up-to-date with this series! *cheers*
We got a new teacher, Miss Granite seems kind, but at times is also totally mean and unfriendly. And who in their right mind leaves a whole class of students alone???? But we soon find out why!
I loved the hair part. First getting it all off (poor Mildred), only to have to use a growth potion going out of hair um hand. :) Why do these girls still trust Ethel with things? They should know by this time (3 years now) that she is up to no good and won't be nice. Poor Tabby, totally traumatized by the huge and super fast growing hair.
Of course the book ends, like all the others, with Mildred saving the day/academy again.
But I have to say this one was way more fun than the previous one, so yeah for that!
Btw, I loved the cover for this book. :)
We got a new teacher, Miss Granite seems kind, but at times is also totally mean and unfriendly. And who in their right mind leaves a whole class of students alone???? But we soon find out why!
I loved the hair part. First getting it all off (poor Mildred), only to have to use a growth potion going out of hair um hand. :) Why do these girls still trust Ethel with things? They should know by this time (3 years now) that she is up to no good and won't be nice. Poor Tabby, totally traumatized by the huge and super fast growing hair.
Of course the book ends, like all the others, with Mildred saving the day/academy again.
But I have to say this one was way more fun than the previous one, so yeah for that!
Btw, I loved the cover for this book. :)
January 11, 2015
This book was a little longer and more involved than the others, with more challenging vocabulary, so I ended up giving it five stars although on my blog it would be a 4 1/2. As with the other Worst Witch stories this is perfect for a chapter a night book, read by an adult for children younger than the book's intended reading skills level. The perfect series for children too young for Harry Potter, but wanting to read about a magic school.
August 3, 2017
This book was interesting. It was about as good as the last two books in the series but there were some inconsistencies between this books and the previous books that bothered me. They weren't that noticeable but they still took away from the story when I noticed them. Overall this book was ok and I'm hoping the next book is better than this one.
March 19, 2025
3.25⭐️. it was a fun read. very similar to the other books in the series, nothing groundbreaking. i quite liked the plot this time around, although i thought it took too long to get to it. most of the book doesn't have a clear plot, and the real one came in too late at the end, so it felt a bit rushed.
August 30, 2012
This is the last book I've been able to find, and it resembles the others so much, I still find it adorable, and rather funny, with spells going wrong and all. Seems everything happens to Mildred every time.
January 19, 2021
.
ماجرای این جلد هم به این صورته که شخصیت بد قصه قیافهش رو عوض میکنه و خودش رو معلم جا میزنه و وارد مدرسه میشه و بعد شخصیت اصلی داستان یعنی میلدرد دستش رو رو میکنه. درست مثل طرح داستان جلد چهارم هری پاتر. یعنی در اصل اون مثل اینه.
ماجرای این جلد هم به این صورته که شخصیت بد قصه قیافهش رو عوض میکنه و خودش رو معلم جا میزنه و وارد مدرسه میشه و بعد شخصیت اصلی داستان یعنی میلدرد دستش رو رو میکنه. درست مثل طرح داستان جلد چهارم هری پاتر. یعنی در اصل اون مثل اینه.
November 30, 2019
This is one to pre-read for the Possum, mostly. She relies heavily on my suggestions, and it's kind of hard to keep ahead of her.
***
I'm unimpressed. It's all a bit thin.
Library copy
***
I'm unimpressed. It's all a bit thin.
Library copy
November 23, 2014
Oh that Agatha.
December 18, 2015
I love how Mil got herself tangled in more trouble now involving a new teacher and her improvement as a witch comes in handy for avoiding some disaster.
October 23, 2025
The Worst Witch Saves the Day (Updated)
Mildred returns to school for her third year Winter Term. Mildred feels a little more confident this year after receiving a Broomstick Proficiency Certificate and gets a smart, new, broom from her mom as a reward. Unfortunately tho Tabby hasn’t gotten any better. Mildred reunites with Maud whose hair is now curly. Her aunt gave her a new stying brush. They hope their teacher isn’t Miss Hard broom again.
It isn’t. It’s a new teacher named Miss Granite. Miss Granite is very strange looking. She has a cloud of bright, orange, curls, enormous purple-tinted glasses and a short cape with a collar turned up so high you can’t see her face. After telling Maud she looks like she had a run in with her styling brush, Mildred gets the attention of HB who asks if she’d like to share the joke. Mildred covers and says she’s forgotten and it probably wasn’t good anyway. Miss HB tells the new teacher to keep her eye on Mildred and in a high pitched voice-surprising even Ethel- she says she will.
Mildred borrows Maud’s styling brush but before Maud can warn her to be careful not to tangle her hair in the brush, she does just that. Maud and Enid look at each other. It’ll take all day to untangle Mildred’s hair (which is waist-length) and the assembly bell has rung. Ethel walks into the room, sees the situation, and starts to “fix it”. Before Mildred knows it a chunk of her hair is on the floor. Ethel says she can “tidy it up” before assembly. She took a hair dressing course.
Now Mildred’s hair kind of resembles a scarecrow. She cut it different lengths to her chin. Miss Granite surprisingly says she’s not going to give the girls a lesson and tells them to look in their book and find some spells to try on their own. Mildred is the only one that tries to do any work. She finds a growth spell to use on her hair, but its complicated. When she asks Miss Granite for help, she tells her to do it on her own and don’t bother her. Ethel offers to help her as it’s the least she can do for giving Mildred a hack job-tho she says she was just trying to help-.
That night, Miss Granite tells the girls to blow out their own candles by eight thirty. Mildred makes the potion (its purple). Enid and Maud come help her rub it in her hair. Nothing happens. They discuss Miss Granite and say they can’t see HB letting her stay long if she continues in her lax teaching style. The girls go a little wild that night, but Mildred, Maud, and Enid turn in-so to avoid Miss HB’s wrath-. The teachers have a staff meeting. Miss HB knows this will be an excellent say to test Miss Granite’s teaching methods and how well she handles things. Miss HB starts to “remind” Miss Granite of the rules but then there’s the sound of a meow and screams.
Outside the window, they see Tabby hanging on to Mildred’s hair which is rapidly growing more by the minute. The potion it turned out worked all to well. And now Mildred’s hair is all over the place and she’s jumping on the bed screaming. Tabby tried to catch the hair when it started growing but Mildred didn’t realize what he was doing and pushed him off. Enid and Maud try to pull Tabby up and the rest of the girls try to hold Mildred’s hair while she steps into the corrider and away from the window. Miss HB says Mildred’s having a bad hair day, stops the growth, and restores her hair to its original length.
The next day, Tabby is traumatized by the bad hair incident. Mildred finds out Miss Granite wants them to do some cat and broomstick time but Tabby definitely isn’t ready for that. Miss Granite says she’s tired and leaves Ethel in charge of the flying lesson. Mildred tells Ethel she’s not in charge no matter what the new teacher says and she’s not making Tabby fly, but Ethel snatches Tabby up and puts her on the back of her broom. Her cat Night star tries to swipe his ears. Ethel flies Tabby up to the tower. Mildred, Enid, and Maud follow her.
Mildred almost falls off the roof, but is caught by Ethel on her broomstick. But Mildred’s new broom breaks in half. Maud and Ethel try to fix it with glue and sticky tape. Tabby is still on the roof and Mildred gets Maud to lend her -her- broom so she can go look. Tabby is outside Miss Granite’s window and she gets him. She accuses Mildred of spying on her and tells her to stay away from her room or she’ll be sorry. She tells her she’ll return her cat when she gets ready.
Mildred wants to go get Tabby back, but Maud warns her against it. She says she won’t but she does anyway. When she gets to Miss Granite’s room, Miss Cackle surprises her by being in the room. She says Miss Granite knew she’s be there to collect Tabby and locks her in the closet. Mildred finds out that this is Agatha Cackle and she plans to turn everyone into snails at 2AM and lead in the rest of her coven to take over the school. Mildred turns herself into an ant and escapes. She makes her way to Maud finally (distracted by a trail of cake crumbs in the teacher’s wing). Mildred is able to get Maud and Enid to see she’s an ant and they preform the reversal spell.
Mildred tells them what is going on and, just as Agatha is about to turn Miss Cackle into a snail, Mildred turns her into a snail herself. Maud, Enid, and Mildred tell Miss Cackle what her sister had planned. Miss Hardbroom comes back from visiting her friend Miss Pentangle at Miss Pentagle’s Academy. She suggests that the invite the coven in one by one with Miss Cackle pretending to be Agatha and Mildred will turn them to snails. Miss HB announces that she’ll be there teacher again. The girls say they’ll be happy to have her as their teacher again. She appears in front of them and she’s sees missed them too. They keep things interesting. Then she tells them to go to bed.
My Thoughts:
1. I wouldn’t trust Ethel to HAND me a pair of scissors much less go ANY WHERE near my head. Why did Mildred think this was a good idea? Knowing this girl has done nothing since day 1 (and book 1) but get her in trouble. And if that wasn’t bad enough, she trusts her to take a potion? I’m starting not to feel bad for Mildred because it’s like that saying. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on ME! I mean when is Mildred gonna learn when this chick says she’s “helping her” RUN! And sleep with one eye open. And then same thing with Miss Cackle. I already knew who Miss Granite was. It kind of hit me mid book. Oh, it’s the twin of Mrs Cackle. But then after that mishap I’d KEEP a supply of truth telling serum for when I had to hire new people. You cannot TRUST everybody. Not just because of what they look like. It’s a big FAIL that they didn’t review this lady further. And then I thought they were all turned into snails. Did someone turn them back? And then WHY? Shouldn’t their punishment have been to keep them as snails? Some people you can’t give second chances neither, because they’ll just repeat the same thing they did in the first place over and over again. Why isn’t there a witch prison in this story? This coven should most DEFINITELY be in it.
Rated 6
Mildred returns to school for her third year Winter Term. Mildred feels a little more confident this year after receiving a Broomstick Proficiency Certificate and gets a smart, new, broom from her mom as a reward. Unfortunately tho Tabby hasn’t gotten any better. Mildred reunites with Maud whose hair is now curly. Her aunt gave her a new stying brush. They hope their teacher isn’t Miss Hard broom again.
It isn’t. It’s a new teacher named Miss Granite. Miss Granite is very strange looking. She has a cloud of bright, orange, curls, enormous purple-tinted glasses and a short cape with a collar turned up so high you can’t see her face. After telling Maud she looks like she had a run in with her styling brush, Mildred gets the attention of HB who asks if she’d like to share the joke. Mildred covers and says she’s forgotten and it probably wasn’t good anyway. Miss HB tells the new teacher to keep her eye on Mildred and in a high pitched voice-surprising even Ethel- she says she will.
Mildred borrows Maud’s styling brush but before Maud can warn her to be careful not to tangle her hair in the brush, she does just that. Maud and Enid look at each other. It’ll take all day to untangle Mildred’s hair (which is waist-length) and the assembly bell has rung. Ethel walks into the room, sees the situation, and starts to “fix it”. Before Mildred knows it a chunk of her hair is on the floor. Ethel says she can “tidy it up” before assembly. She took a hair dressing course.
Now Mildred’s hair kind of resembles a scarecrow. She cut it different lengths to her chin. Miss Granite surprisingly says she’s not going to give the girls a lesson and tells them to look in their book and find some spells to try on their own. Mildred is the only one that tries to do any work. She finds a growth spell to use on her hair, but its complicated. When she asks Miss Granite for help, she tells her to do it on her own and don’t bother her. Ethel offers to help her as it’s the least she can do for giving Mildred a hack job-tho she says she was just trying to help-.
That night, Miss Granite tells the girls to blow out their own candles by eight thirty. Mildred makes the potion (its purple). Enid and Maud come help her rub it in her hair. Nothing happens. They discuss Miss Granite and say they can’t see HB letting her stay long if she continues in her lax teaching style. The girls go a little wild that night, but Mildred, Maud, and Enid turn in-so to avoid Miss HB’s wrath-. The teachers have a staff meeting. Miss HB knows this will be an excellent say to test Miss Granite’s teaching methods and how well she handles things. Miss HB starts to “remind” Miss Granite of the rules but then there’s the sound of a meow and screams.
Outside the window, they see Tabby hanging on to Mildred’s hair which is rapidly growing more by the minute. The potion it turned out worked all to well. And now Mildred’s hair is all over the place and she’s jumping on the bed screaming. Tabby tried to catch the hair when it started growing but Mildred didn’t realize what he was doing and pushed him off. Enid and Maud try to pull Tabby up and the rest of the girls try to hold Mildred’s hair while she steps into the corrider and away from the window. Miss HB says Mildred’s having a bad hair day, stops the growth, and restores her hair to its original length.
The next day, Tabby is traumatized by the bad hair incident. Mildred finds out Miss Granite wants them to do some cat and broomstick time but Tabby definitely isn’t ready for that. Miss Granite says she’s tired and leaves Ethel in charge of the flying lesson. Mildred tells Ethel she’s not in charge no matter what the new teacher says and she’s not making Tabby fly, but Ethel snatches Tabby up and puts her on the back of her broom. Her cat Night star tries to swipe his ears. Ethel flies Tabby up to the tower. Mildred, Enid, and Maud follow her.
Mildred almost falls off the roof, but is caught by Ethel on her broomstick. But Mildred’s new broom breaks in half. Maud and Ethel try to fix it with glue and sticky tape. Tabby is still on the roof and Mildred gets Maud to lend her -her- broom so she can go look. Tabby is outside Miss Granite’s window and she gets him. She accuses Mildred of spying on her and tells her to stay away from her room or she’ll be sorry. She tells her she’ll return her cat when she gets ready.
Mildred wants to go get Tabby back, but Maud warns her against it. She says she won’t but she does anyway. When she gets to Miss Granite’s room, Miss Cackle surprises her by being in the room. She says Miss Granite knew she’s be there to collect Tabby and locks her in the closet. Mildred finds out that this is Agatha Cackle and she plans to turn everyone into snails at 2AM and lead in the rest of her coven to take over the school. Mildred turns herself into an ant and escapes. She makes her way to Maud finally (distracted by a trail of cake crumbs in the teacher’s wing). Mildred is able to get Maud and Enid to see she’s an ant and they preform the reversal spell.
Mildred tells them what is going on and, just as Agatha is about to turn Miss Cackle into a snail, Mildred turns her into a snail herself. Maud, Enid, and Mildred tell Miss Cackle what her sister had planned. Miss Hardbroom comes back from visiting her friend Miss Pentangle at Miss Pentagle’s Academy. She suggests that the invite the coven in one by one with Miss Cackle pretending to be Agatha and Mildred will turn them to snails. Miss HB announces that she’ll be there teacher again. The girls say they’ll be happy to have her as their teacher again. She appears in front of them and she’s sees missed them too. They keep things interesting. Then she tells them to go to bed.
My Thoughts:
1. I wouldn’t trust Ethel to HAND me a pair of scissors much less go ANY WHERE near my head. Why did Mildred think this was a good idea? Knowing this girl has done nothing since day 1 (and book 1) but get her in trouble. And if that wasn’t bad enough, she trusts her to take a potion? I’m starting not to feel bad for Mildred because it’s like that saying. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on ME! I mean when is Mildred gonna learn when this chick says she’s “helping her” RUN! And sleep with one eye open. And then same thing with Miss Cackle. I already knew who Miss Granite was. It kind of hit me mid book. Oh, it’s the twin of Mrs Cackle. But then after that mishap I’d KEEP a supply of truth telling serum for when I had to hire new people. You cannot TRUST everybody. Not just because of what they look like. It’s a big FAIL that they didn’t review this lady further. And then I thought they were all turned into snails. Did someone turn them back? And then WHY? Shouldn’t their punishment have been to keep them as snails? Some people you can’t give second chances neither, because they’ll just repeat the same thing they did in the first place over and over again. Why isn’t there a witch prison in this story? This coven should most DEFINITELY be in it.
Rated 6
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2022
Of course Mildred, the worst witch at Miss Cackle's School for Witches, saves the day. Doesn't she always? But first, and just as naturally, she messes up. Her botched attempt to repair a "bad hair day" results in disaster, and sends her beloved but mental cat Tabby into a nervous breakdown. At least this term, the girls in Form Three will have a break from always having super-strict Miss Hardbroom as their form-mistress. The trouble is, their mysterious new teacher doesn't seem interested in actually teaching.
It doesn't take long for the girls in Form Three to miss a bit of structure and discipline. But that thought has scarcely formed in their minds when Miss Granite suddenly turns mean and threatening, and poor Tabby gets caught in the middle. Luckily, Mildred isn't the kind of girl to take catnapping lying down. (That sentence somehow doesn't sound right.) Unluckily, that's exactly what Miss Granite is counting on, forcing Mildred to stretch her spellcasting skills in order to avert yet another attempted hag takeover of the school.
Mildred and her friends, frenemies and enemies are fun company as always, full of warmth and mischief and magic. Their adventure is typically weird, hilarious and just a bit spooky, including (in this case) a transformation spell that leaves Mildred in a tiny form. Her struggle to communicate her plight with her friends, Enid and Maud, and to stay on task despite the allure of cake crumbs all over the floor, is the type of verbal and visual fun that makes this book, and this whole series, priceless.
This is the fifth of eight "Worst Witch" books by the late Jill Murphy. Next after it is The Worst Witch to the Rescue. After a slow start, I'm zipping through the series thanks to a box set that was apparently printed for sale in the U.K. Since the books are so brief and quick to read – and there are (sadly) no worries that more installments will be added to the series – I'd say the box set is the way to go.
It doesn't take long for the girls in Form Three to miss a bit of structure and discipline. But that thought has scarcely formed in their minds when Miss Granite suddenly turns mean and threatening, and poor Tabby gets caught in the middle. Luckily, Mildred isn't the kind of girl to take catnapping lying down. (That sentence somehow doesn't sound right.) Unluckily, that's exactly what Miss Granite is counting on, forcing Mildred to stretch her spellcasting skills in order to avert yet another attempted hag takeover of the school.
Mildred and her friends, frenemies and enemies are fun company as always, full of warmth and mischief and magic. Their adventure is typically weird, hilarious and just a bit spooky, including (in this case) a transformation spell that leaves Mildred in a tiny form. Her struggle to communicate her plight with her friends, Enid and Maud, and to stay on task despite the allure of cake crumbs all over the floor, is the type of verbal and visual fun that makes this book, and this whole series, priceless.
This is the fifth of eight "Worst Witch" books by the late Jill Murphy. Next after it is The Worst Witch to the Rescue. After a slow start, I'm zipping through the series thanks to a box set that was apparently printed for sale in the U.K. Since the books are so brief and quick to read – and there are (sadly) no worries that more installments will be added to the series – I'd say the box set is the way to go.
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