Worst Broommate Ever!

Middle School and Other Disasters #1

by Wanda Coven, Anna Abramskaya (illustrator)

Heidi Heckelbeck is going to middle school! Longtime fans of the chapter book series and new fans just meeting Heidi for the first time will love this hilarious first book in the Middle School and Other Disasters series—featuring black-and-white illustrations and doodles throughout!

It’s goodbye, Brewster Elementary and hello, Broomsfield Academy when Heidi starts middle school at the only school in the country that has secret classes for witches in training! Heidi is excited but nervous about living on her own and making new friends (and new crushes)! Her first day takes a turn for the worse when Heidi discovers her roommate is none other than her old rival, Melanie Maplethorpe!

Melanie is also less than thrilled, and the two find themselves engaged in an epic prank war. But when magic enters the mix, will the reluctant roommates go too far?

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Childrens, Witches

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2023

Reviews

[Ioana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Тази книга ми хареса, исках да и дам четири звезди, но заради по - големите букви добавям още една.🩷

[Hallie Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/ 2 stars!!
😊

[sar! · Rating 5 out of 5]

so stinking cute

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute middle grade book. Very accessible for readers with the illustrations. A bit Harry Potterish with the witch classes they take. I will admit, though, that I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though I’m not a fan of fantasy, I found this book to be quite engaging. I thought middle school kids would really enjoy it because of the pictures and the different size print. It’s about a girl who is in middle school and she goes to boarding school where her mother and aunt attended years ago. She’s very homesick at first and then when she finds out who her roommate is she is very sad. All is well at the end and I definitely feel that kids would enjoy this book

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this follow-up series to Heidi Heckelbeck by Wanda Coven, Heidi leaves to attend boarding school. This boarding school offers not only a regular education but a magical one as well. The school houses a secret school for witches that Heidi is excited to attend. She's also nervous though to leave her family and friends behind for a new place and new people. Heidi's excited to find a friend also attending the school. And the school itself sounds awesome. It's a place many young readers would love to attend with its own shopping area, a secret magic school, and fun activities. Things take a turn for the worse, however, when Heidi learns that her roommate is none other than her nemesis from her hometown. As expected, the two clash from the beginning. When their disagreements turn into pranks, including Heidi misusing her magic, though it seems the two will not be able to survive as roommates. But when their requests to change are denied, the two girls must find a way to get along before the year is entirely ruined.

Worst Roommate Ever reads a lot like Dork Diaries except for the magic. The book is chock full of middle school drama and fun. The school really does sound like a fabulous place. The varying sized fonts combined with lots of black-and-white illustrations makes the book a quick and easy read. Themes related to friendship, following or not following rules, and misjudging others added depth to the book. Heidi and her friends make for engaging characters, flaws and all. Heidi makes plenty of mistakes just like all middle schoolers but she learns from them. The ending indicates more trouble to come in future volumes. Young readers who enjoy a touch of magic with their middle school drama are bound to love this new series. And young readers who loved Heidi as an elementary students are bound to want to grown up with her.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Early chapter book readers started with Heidi Heckelbeck in 2013 and have laughed and cheered as she arrived in Brewster as a second grader, found friends, and discovered her budding magical abilities. Simon & Schuster launches a Heidi series for the middle grade who is ready for more challenging vocabulary and tween angst and joys, but also still enjoys plenty of illustrations and font changes. Heidi is starting boarding school and will leave Lucy and Bruce behind to join a host of others at Broomsfield Academy where both magical and non-magical students attend. In the series opener, Heidi discovers that she and arch nemesis have been matched as “broom”mates, there’s a really cute boy in her regular and magical classes, and Sunny, a friend from a family beach vacation, is also at Broomsfield. There is friend drama, fashion and make up conversation, magical mishaps, and plenty of fun in this highly-illustrated book for those who enjoy graphic novels like Babysitter’s Club and the Nat books as well as those who read Rene Russell’s Dork Diaries and Max Crumbly books. And don’t worry, this is definitely not anything like Harry Potter or other magic school fantasy books out there, much less dark and more focus on the friendships and school activities. Fun choice for libraries serving grades 3-5 and with the absence of profanity, sexual content, or violence, would be great for strong readers in grade 2.

Thanks for sending a print arc, Simon Kids!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nominated for 2023 Cybils Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction

This definitely reads as what an elementary school kid thinks middle school will be like (rather than a book for middle schoolers). Especially a boarding school! It's very close to a graphic novel, with lots of illustrations and text size, format, and font changes to reflect the narrator's point of view.

I did notice that everyone around her thought she was amazing, although it was a bit hard to see that through her own eyes. And the math of having one "best" school for magical people that is only partially magical seemed a bit sus. But it was fun to hang out with this kid during her orientation (and first classes -- I seem to remember they started school) as she learns to bond with her main frenemy and obsesses over her crush while settling into her new school.

[Chelsea Moss · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute

Friends new places and figuring out your special powers it was cute middle school love and friendship my niece will love it

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a dusting of magic, middle school life hits unexpected roommates, new friends, and a touch of homesickness, too.

Heidi is off to boarding school, which would be awful (she does love her regular middle school) if this wasn't the only school where she can learn more about magic. Plus, she won't have to hide her abilities from everyone anymore, since among the regular usual students, there will be other witches and wizards there, too (duh!). Leaving home does make her anxious, and her nerves shift into high gear when she discovers who her roommate is. Any hopes of having a good year shatter as now she wishes she could find a way to ditch the worst roommate ever.

This is a great book to hit that middle path between those first chapter books and longer reads. At 300+ pages, it looks thick, but the text is written in larger font (sometimes, very large font) with lots of spacing in between to keep the feeling of being bogged down by words far away. There are many illustrations to break it up and bring scenes to life, and these are sprinkled in every few pages (not every page). The chapters are longer from page length as well. So, it soothes nervous readers, while preparing them for larger readers.

Heidi narrates this one almost like a diary entry or speaking with the reader like a best friend. She's open, has understandable thoughts (even when she's not always right), and is genuinely a kind person...but also has her slightly mischievous side. The interactions with her family are wholesome and fun, while the ones with friends and classmates invite in. It's easy to feel part of the group and experience the familiar settings and issues. The problems she faces are pretty straight-forward and fit the age group very well.

The magical end is like icing on a cake. The story is well-grounded in normal life as are the interactions. The moments of magic are enough to spark the imagination but don't go to the extreme. There is the secret door to the magic school, which adds a nice bit of mystery. There's an original atmosphere to this school, which sets it apart from many magic-academy-reads. For example, the school store is located in what was once a barn. Since the humans aren't supposed to know about the magic, even these aspects are as usual as usual can be. It creates an easy world to connect with and sink into, while adding just the right pinch of fantasy and dreams. I received an ARC and enjoyed everything from the sparkly cover to the illustrations to the enjoyable character.

[Mark Buxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

What worked:
Most kids don’t attend boarding school like Heidi but everyone must deal with meeting new classmates. She has the added pressure of living away from home so she doesn’t have the daily support of her family. Heidi must learn new routines and touring the large school can be overwhelming. Walking into a crowded cafeteria on the first day of middle school is intimidating as students search for friendly faces. Heidi and young readers will share these experiences which this character relatable.
Bullies and rivalries aren’t unusual for middle-school readers but this book adds some new twists. Heidi thought attending boarding school would leave her nemesis and bully behind but they’re assigned as roommates. Heidi doesn’t know why Melanie has hated her since second grade but attending a new school hasn’t helped. The story is told from Heidi’s point of view so readers know immediately that she won’t give Melanie any ammunition to tease her about. The competition is on. However, readers only get one side of the story as they don’t know what Melanie is thinking. The book reveals that the two girls have many things in common but Heidi’s defensiveness won’t let her consider that they might become friends.
The book offers a special focus on friendship. Heidi is ecstatic when she sees an old friend is also at camp and the two girls quickly find comfort in each other. Sunny has a nice roommate and all three girls are delighted to discover they’re all witches. Sunny thinks Heidi is a wonderful friend but she tells Heidi when things are getting out of control. Forgiveness and understanding are important between friends and Heidi and her classmates demonstrate these qualities toward each other. Later, uncomfortable circumstances require Heidi to withhold judgment toward others and force her to listen and communicate.
What didn’t work as well:
The author uses different-sized fonts in the narrative but it’s overdone; small, medium, and large. At first, readers might assume the font grows larger to emphasize the words but that doesn’t always fit what’s being said. I assume the author has a reason but it’s distracting trying to figure out what it might be.
The final verdict:
This book will be most popular for middle-grade girls since boys play a minor role in the plot. Heidi’s vulnerability and uncertainty will resonate with young readers and her rivalry with Melanie adds a familiar conflict to follow. Overall, this book offers an entertaining trip in the mind of a girl entering middle school and I recommend you give it a shot.

[books.bintulu · Rating 4 out of 5]

May 2025: Middle School and Other Disasters: Worst Broomate Ever

Let's get to know Heidi Helena Heckelbeck💫

Heidi is from Brewster, got accepted into Broomsfield Academy, a boarding school which secretly is also a school for young wizards and witches.

She gets shocked to see her roommate (or broomate as they call it) is her former schoolmate.

Heidi is also eager to find out her special power since she found out that other witches have special powers.

✨️✨️✨️

When I was in boarding school, Harry Potter was my reference for life in a boarding school. I'd console my juniors to cherish the time at the hostels and quit thinking of quitting (even though I was feeling homesick all the time).

This first book of the Middle School and Other Disasters works just like that too. It gives the perspectives of the first day of staying at a boarding school. Though it's not 100% like the local system, the feeling that Heidi experienced is common to all first timers.

I'm also interested in the activity during their orientation day. It sounds fun and positive! The elaboration of the secret school is amazing!

Thus, I'm glad my eldest and I read this book. She likes the whimsical setting of the magic school. We agree on Heidi's personality. She is likeable, sensible and likes to win. When she managed to lower her ego and confront Melanie, we applauded her attitude. It's not easy for someone to do that.

We can see Heidi's growth as she navigates her feelings of jealousy by getting busy with other stuff like letters from Aunt Trudy and Lucy. Heidi also refuses to go home during the weekend to avoid feeling more homesick.

Heidi also has a crush on a boy wizard named Hunter (but merely because of his look)? It looks like the dream boy drama continues in the second book sneak peek Worst Love Spell Ever. I just hope it's not Heidi's main concern at the moment. That's what I told my girls too.

I only learned there are chapter books for beginner readers about Heidi Heckelbeck (and her rivalry with Melanie) and now it continues with middle school. Thank you #Pansing for introducing us to this new series. This book is available at all good bookstores.

[Karin (msmadeinchina) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ rounded up

Heidi Heckelbeck is starting middle school - but not just any middle school! She is going to be attending Broomsfield Academy, a boarding school which is also the only school in the country that has secret classes for witches-in-training. She is excited and nervous about living away from her family and making new friends. After some trouble feeling homesick after her family leaves, things get worse when Heidi finds out that her new roommate is Melanie Maplethorpe, the only enemy she has in the entire world. Neither girl is very happy about it, but will they find a way to co-exist and survive the school year?

This was a very quick and easy read! I mean, granted, I am well into my 30s and this is a middle grade book, but still. I’d say that though the story is written about a middle schooler, it’s written more in a way that is geared toward younger readers in the middle grade age range.

The illustrations are a fun addition, adding an element that brings you into the story a bit more. The inconsistency in text formatting was a bit off-putting for me, but I think that younger readers would definitely like the fun of it.

As for the plot and character development, they hit all the right notes for the intended audience. Coven is able to nail the voice and problems of a middle schooler. Additionally, choosing to place the characters at a boarding school is genius as it was a reminder for me of when I first left home for college and serves as a great way to (subconsciously) prepare kids for a (potential) future.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to start by saying just how much I liked this book.

First of all, when I opened the book and saw the pictures, the formatting, and the big white spaces everywhere I wished like crazy this book had been around when I'd been homeschooling my dyslexic child. Finding books which did not feel intimidating to readers with issues but still had story with characters their age is so hard to kids in this age group with reading problems. This book was such the perfect solution.

Here we find our old favorite from second grade, Heidi Heckelbeck. She's going to middle school away from home - a special school where witches like her can learn about their powers. It's not quite a Harry Potter knockoff, as it doesn't have that intensity. But it's still a lot of fun, with some really unexpected surprises, including a new friendship which no one would ever see coming.

Overall, this was a lot of fun. It reads like a long introduction to what I hope is a much bigger story. I'm hoping we'll dig in deeper with the next books in the series. I want to explore more of Heidi's new world, and get to know the older her better.

Highly recommended if you already know Heidi Heckelbeck! Also highly recommended for Hi-Lo readers.

[Lisa Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover caught my eye, and so that is why I requested it. This was a great story about growing up and having to learn to do things on your own. As I was reading, I realized that there are other books with these characters, it just doesn’t have the witchery involved. The descriptions were wonderful, where I could visualize without having to look at the pictures that were provided. I also liked each detail of how the main character was moving away and what was involved. The feelings and emotions were exactly how I felt when I went to college and had to live in the dorms. I could really relate to the characters.
I am going to purchase this book and use it to teach my speech and language kids about writing. No commas were used, and different fonts and sizes were used when writing this book. Everyone has their own style of writing and this book is a great example to show this.
This story also taught a lesson about getting along with others and communication. This was a good read.

[Книжни Криле · Rating 4 out of 5]

С „Ново училище и други бедствия. Най-ужасната съквартирантка на света“ от изд. „Хеликон“ стартират новата книжна поредица на Уанда Ковън, насочена към подрастващите читатели и главно към младите госпожици с афинитет към училищни преживелици и щипка магия. Ще се запознаете с Хайди Хекълбек, която по всичко прилича на своите връстници – и тя е изнервена от постъпването в ново училище, сблъсква се с гимназиалните промени, раздялата със семейството, предизвикателствата на все по-голямата самостоятелност, носталгията по дома и старите приятели, трепета пред новите запознанства… Но макар и на пръв поглед едно обичайно момиче, Хайди има една голяма тайна – тя е вещица! А училището в Брумсфийлд крие зад привидно скучната фасада и специализирани уроци да такива… „надарени“ тийнейджъри. Прочетете ревюто на „Книжни Криле“: https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/202...

[Sarah Butland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute package of a powerful message. My first book of Wanda Coven's, I adored the story and illustrations included throughout enough to be interested in reading more of her books.

Reading middle grade fiction as an adult, I'm delighted when they do it well and this did that. It was fast paced, tackled important issues and had a good moral while being an unique tale of wizardry and witchery. Withholding an important part of herself is hard to do while going to regular person school, with two of her best friends not able to know, Heidi needs to start going to boarding school.

This book is advertised as hilarious and yes, there were humourous moments and maybe I'm too old to not find them laugh out loud funny, but it is delightful and an impactful read. Learning tolerance, acceptance and discovering yourself while knowing when best to use your strengths makes for a valuable read to anyone growing up.

[Larissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes leaving one’s element and being forced to face our worst enemy helps us to see things in a different light. Moving into a boarding school is really hard. Especially when you find out that your new roommate is your old enemy from school. How in the world are you suppose to get along with them when you know they already hate you? This book does such a fun job of showing how sometimes we only know so much about a person. Sometimes meeting them on a different level and taking time to learn more about them shows you that they are not who you thought they were. In fact, you might learn that you have more in common then you ever could have believed.
Thank you so much to Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, Simon Spotlight, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

[Hwee Goh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you heard? Heidi Heckelbeck is going to middle school!

My heart truly danced in delight when I discovered that this spunky young witch who loved her black and white striped tights (and entertained my girls in early readers) is the star of a new series.

Simon and Schuster has followed up with Middle School and other Disasters, with Heidi headed to boarding school at Broomsfield Academy.

This was extremely readable in kid-friendly font, as we follow Heidi fighting her nerves and coping with…the worst broommate!

“Why does my mouth feel like I ate an entire bag of cotton balls?”

“How can I be feeling grown-up and like a scared little kid all at the same time?”

Heidi steps up, even as she gets a little stressed and it was so fun to also see her explore the Hogwarts-like secret magic school and uncover her special power.

📚: @definitelybookskids

[Chuck Knudsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a pretty cute story about a girl going to boarding school, and the hopes and fears that go with that. I saw a review that said it was more an elementary school kids view of what middle school will be like, and that seems pretty incisive.

Because I am an old fuddy duddy adult, I found the font size changing every sentence to be a distracting impediment to reading the book. SOMETIMES it was for emphasis, but not always. SOMETIMES IT WAS JUST BIG.

Heidi tells us about how awful her roommate is, but in this book at least, Heidi is the bully. I know there's history there from the earlier series but I wasn't a fan of that.

It's VERY boy crazy, in a way that I don't think most 11/12 year olds are. At least I hope they aren't. And if they are that's too bad because it sucks. Live your lives! Don't make decisions based on boys! They suck!

[Kiki Kramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heidi Heckelbeck is a young witch starting middle school. She and her roommate Melanie are rivals from elementary school. The story follows Heidi as she adjusts to her boarding school and learns to deal with homesickness, anxiety about her witch powers, and roommate rivalry.

The writing style of this book is similar to “Dork Diaries” and it incorporates different font sizes/types and illustrations. Every two pages or so there is a black and white drawing that emphasizes plot points. The illustrations are cheerful and help to break up the text into more manageable pieces for the reader.

Overall, this is a fun take on the enemies to friends trope with relatable characters and a sprinkling of magic.

[CookieCat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was SOOOOOOO fun!! I really enjoyed it and will be getting book two. Heidi is going away to boarding school, but not just any boarding school. One with a hidden school for Witches and Wizards!
I don't know why Wanda Coven didn't use the term 'Warlock', maybe because most kids don't know what that means? Heidi is both excited and nervous, "What if the other kids are better at spells than me?" "What if my Broommate (Roommate) is mean?". It turns out, HER BROOMMATE IS HER WORST ENEMY!! And wait, is she a witch too?!?! You'll have to buy the book and find out.


I think kids aged 10-13 should read this book, and I rate it 4.9 stars.

[Brittney Lyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am new to Heidi Heckelbeck and beyond excited to start my venture with her middle grade series Middle School and other Disasters. How my mind works… take my younger self and make it relatable… if you took Sabrina the Teenage Witch and put her in Middle School… that is this book! You even have a Libby Chesler…Melanie Maplethorpe!

I highly enjoyed this this quick book with fun fonts/illustrations… the totally awesome glitzy cover would have one my eye at the middle school book fair. A fun read and I’m excited to check out Heidi’s early years as well as what’s more to come!

Thank you @simonkids for this gifted copy!

[Barbra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This first book in the series Middle School and other Disasters, follows Heidi Heckelbeck as she enters her first year at Broomsfield Academy. She’s sad to be leaving her friends behind but excited because it is the only school in the country that has secret witches-in-training classes. However, her expectations are soon shattered when she discovers her roommate is her number one enemy. This large print, easy to read novel is brought to life with fun illustrations and is a charming story about acceptance and friendship, with a quirky touch of magic.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heidi starts middle school at a boarding school. This is a special one as it also offers training in magic. Readers will connect with her gamut of emotions about leaving home and share her surprise when she discovers who her roommate is. They may be even more surprised to learn that this roommate is also a witch. No spoilers but I appreciate how Coven moves a long time storyline forward in this new set of books.

[Borislava Kamburova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Главната героиня Хайди Хелена Хекълбек се мести в Брумсфийлдскада академия- единственото училище в държавата, където тайно се провеждат часове по магия. В общежитието Хайди попада на най-ужасната съквартирантка на света - Мелани Мейпълторп. С течение на времето те откриват, че имат доста общи неща и се сприятеляват. Нейната мечта е да бъде най-добрата вещица в света. Тя е лудо влюбена по едно момче на име Хънтър Маккан, но тя го нарича Хънтър МакСладък.

[Cvetelina Sheeva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Тази книга е наистина ПРЕКРАСНА! Мога на кажа, че изглежда детска, но би допаднала дори и на възрастен човек! На мен много ми хареса и беше изключително интересна, сладка, забавна дори има и капка любов! В книгата се разказва също за вещици, магии и т.н., което за мен я направи още по-интересна! За любовната история ще науча повече в книга 2, защото наистина мисля да се сдобия с нея! Много ми се иска да прочета цялата поредица мисля, че си заслужава, така че препоръчвам със сигурност!!💗

[Ελένη Καραχανίδη · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+
So much enjoyed the vibe, liked the humor, loved her struggle and strength, totally enjoyed the plot.
Not to mention how much I wanted a school like this for myself.
Definitely I will continue with the next one

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the Heidi Hecklebeck books to my daughter when she was little. This was no different, fun and easy to read to my daughter. We both want to read the next one.

[Katrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Това е много интересна книга.
Аз лично бих я препоръчала за деца от 8 до 10.Книгата е много интересна и увлекателна, а аз с нетърпение очаквам да издадат втората книга на български!