Das Geheimnis der Hexen von Wellbridge

by Eva Ibbotson

Heckie is a young, kindly witch with a remarkable ability: She can change anything into an animal. So when she meets a boy, Daniel, after graduating from a good witch school, Heckie and her pal set out to eliminate the world of bad people by changing them into critters. After Heckie conjures up a friendly dragon who reacts to evildoers and transforms a nasty nursing home owner into a warthog, she meets a furrier (Lionel Knacksap) who suspiciously asks for her hand in marriage. Unfortunately, Heckie doesn't realize that her fiancé is only out for snow leopard pelts, but she reunites with a long-lost witch friend, and her two buddies -- along with some other witches -- help Heckie get back on a good track.

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction, Middle Grade, Witches, Young Adult, Magic

223 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Eva Ibbotson (Maria Charlotte Michelle Wiesner) was a novelist specializing in romance and children's fantasy.

She was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1925. When Hitler appeared, her family moved to England. She attended Bedford College, graduating in 1945; Cambridge University from 1946-47; and the University of Durham, graduating with a diploma in education in 1965. Eva had intended to be a physiologist but was put off by animal testing. Instead, she married and raised a family, returning to school to become a teacher in the 1960s. They have three sons and a daughter.

Eva began writing with the television drama “Linda Came Today” in 1965. Ten years later, she published her first novel, “The Great Ghost Rescue”. Eva has written numerous books including “The Secret Of Platform 13”, “Journey To The River Sea”, “Which Witch?”, “Island Of The Aunts”, and “Dial-A-Ghost”. She won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize for “Journey To The River Sea” and has been a runner up for many of major awards for British children's literature.

Her books are imaginative and humorous and most of them feature magical creatures and places, despite that she disliked thinking about them. She created the characters because she wanted to decrease her readers' fear of such things.

Some of the books, particularly “Journey To The River Sea”, reflect Eva's love of nature. Eva wrote this book in honour of her husband (who had died before), a naturalist. The book had been in her head for years.

Eva said she dislikes "financial greed and a lust for power" and often creates antagonists in her books who have these characteristics. Some have been struck by the similarity of “Platform 9 3/4” in J.K. Rowling's books to Eva's “The Secret Of Platform 13”, which came out three years before the first Harry Potter book.

Her love of Austria is evident in works such as “The Star Of Kazan” and “A Song For Summer”. These books, set in the Austrian countryside, display the author's love for all things natural.

Reviews

[Marta Álvarez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reseña próximamente en El Templo de las Mil Puertas www.eltemplodelasmilpuertas.com

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading Eva Ibbotson's books growing up quite foundly however I can't for the life of me remember which I read. This is my first book I've read of her as an adult and I think I like her witchery books the most. They are a lot of fun and bit quirky. Saw that I've rated a ghost book by her only 1 star but I hadn't written a review for it and the don't remember why it was such a low rating. Perhaps I need to reread it to refresh or change my mind.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a children's book full of quirky characters. Yes, the plot is predictable, but I didn't mind it at all.

[Mo · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars read as an adult

You know, all of Ms. Ibbotson's books seem to contain lots of charming characters, which is a very good thing... but they also seem to contain some very dark and descriptive passages, which bothers me quite a bit.

"The light was poor and at first, mercifully, Danial could scarcely see. Only the smell hit him instantly: a truly awful smell of sickness and rottenness and decay.

Then came the sounds: half-strangled cries, desperate squawks...

But now his eyes were becoming used to the gloom. He could make out rows and rows of wire cages piled from floor to ceiling on either side of narrow concrete corridors that seemed to stretch away for miles.

And he could see what was inside the cages. Not one chicken, but two, packed so close together that they could hardly turn their heads or move. Unspeakable things were happening in those cages. In one, a bird had caught its throat in the wire and choked; in another, a chicken driven mad by overcrowding was trying to peck out its neighbor's eyes. There were cages in which one bird lay dead while the other was pressed against its corpse. And yet somehow, unbelievably, the wretched creatures went on laying eggs - large brown eggs which rolled on to the shelf below, ready to be driven to Wellbridge Market..."

I know that several very popular books for children contain graphic and gruesome events. I don't mind it QUITE so much when the happenings are fantastical and obviously make-believe, But when events stray into the factual here-and-now, then I have a big problem with it. I don't think a child needs to read a credible description of a chicken farm.

For me, passages like this sucks the "fun" out of this book.

[Snigdha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not Just a Witch is a children's book, which is having a predictable plot and few unpredictable twists, enough for a child's eyes get wide with bewilderment, going to recommend it to all the kids I will come across lately. As an adult, I have throughly enjoyed this book, because the characters were cute and the story was hopeful, just like a child needs a moral to live by, by reading such books, an adult needs a ray of hope, a happy ending and a feeling that still, somewhere, sometimes, good things without any selfish motives happens and that magic which we need seldom, take place, and it's enough to make them smile.
I recommend it to all who wants to read a light hearted, feel good book.
Happy Reading and Stay Safe Chums! :)

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh what a wonderful book! :D It was just so delightful to read. Also, I enjoyed how Heckie and Dora were just that little bit slashy. "Perhaps if we met by accident, Heckie and I would fall into each other's arms?" Aww. ;)

I also love Eva Ibbotson's style of writing for children, because you can tell that she is also writing for the adults who may be reading these books to their kids. Things like filling hot air balloons with the hot air as spoken by politicians! Awesome. ;) This one was especially good because it wasn't just fluffy fun, it actually had some pretty strong messages about racism and animal cruelty.

And the dragworm is up there with the mist-maker in terms of adorable creatures. :D

[Ravi Teja]

Reading the first chapter I thought it was like one of those plot less, utterly terribly predictable and typical two page myth stories, like 'the princess who was a mouse'. But boy was I wrong?

In a very subtle way she dealt with many dark aspects including cruelty to animals and prisoners and all such while never being melodramatic. It has enough fun and plot to keep one engrossed. The author wasn't afraid to show the darkness out in society while also not lecturing the readers. She did one hell of a job.

You wouldn't regret reading it. It would be a great read for children and adults.

[Guguk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seneng banget kayaknya kalau bisa kayak Heckie dan Dora, begitu lihat ada orang jahat ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° )つ──☆*:・ﾟ*cling!* ubah jadi hewan atau batu! (≧▽≦)
Di sisi lain, aku kepikir kalo aku yang punya kekuatan macam itu, rasanya bakalan malah jadi ngawur pol-polan. Semena-mena. "Hmm, ada orang ngerokok di bis dan abunya terbang-terbang ke mukaku. Ubah jadi dodol apel! Lalu biarkan dia disemutin! Bwahahaha!!"

Kisah dua penyihir yang sebenarnya bersahabat tapi berantem dan gengsi saling nggak mau nyapa ini bukan cuma berurusan dengan penjahat, tapi juga dengan anak-anak pemberani, dan ... urusan cinta! (ღ˘⌣˘ღ) Walaupun sebetulnya... *ga jadi karena sangat spoiler* Seru~ ^^

[Chicco Padovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eckie e Dora sono streghe amiche per la pelle. La prima punisce i cattivi trasformandoli in degli animali, mentre la seconda li fa diventare delle statue di pietra. Un giorno le due donne litigano e smettono di parlarsi. Eckie si trasferisce nella città di Wellbridge dove fa amicizia con Daniel, un adolescente trascurato dalla sua famiglia, e inizia a frequentare Lionel Nicknock, il pellicciaio del paese…

È difficile esprimere un parere su questo libro.
Parlando di streghe è inevitabile non pensare a Roald Dahl e al suo capolavoro Le streghe, e qui decisamente siamo ad anni luce dal genio e dalla sagacia di quest’ultimo. Allo stesso tempo, fare paragoni non è mai troppo corretto ed è innegabile che Eva Ibbotson sia una scrittrice sopraffina – stile immediato e scorrevole e prosa curata.
La storia è gradevole: parte in sordina, ma si riprende alla grande con l’introduzione del signor Nicknock, il corteggiatore truffaldino che seduce le due protagoniste con l’intenzione di servirsi di loro (non a caso il titolo Streghe stregate).
Il testo inoltre sfiora diversi temi a carattere sociale. Di solito non amo troppo i romanzi che giocano la carta dell’argomento impegnato per darsi un tono e fare colpo sul lettore, ma fortunatamente non è questo il caso. Anche gli argomenti più gravi in questo libro vengono trattati con leggerezza e in modo funzionale alla storia. Il racconto diventa così l’occasione per parlare di abbandono degli anziani, discriminazione razziale, allevamento intensivo degli animali destinati all’alimentazione umana e altro ancora.
Per concludere, un buon libro. Forse non il mio preferito sul tema streghe, ma comunque una lettura estremamente gradevole.

[Kanav · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for the first time as an adult, and I absolutely loved it! 'Not Just a Witch' is a beautiful story about the adventures of an unconventional witch and her sweet young friend, a boy named Daniel.

Contrary to some reviews on Goodreads, I didn't find the plot predictable. Instead, I felt that Ibbotson gave us an exciting cast of characters, each charming and eccentric in their own way. In addition to that, the relationship between Daniel and Heckie (the main witch) is heartwarming. Also heartwarming is Heckie's familiar—a dragon, but more on that for those who read the book.

Overall, this is a lovely story for children because it's entertaining, funny, exciting, and touching in equal measure. It's a story about friendship, adventure, and the pursuit of happiness—themes that adults may also enjoy. :)

[Zyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely

[Sumi · Rating 4 out of 5]

totally forgot two of the main characters are named daniel and sumi lol

[Mabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ugh. Eva Ibbotson always gets me in the warm gushy feels.

[Harini · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good. One day I will make my children read this for sure.

[Eugenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, it was amazing!!Saya memang penggemar kisah-kisa Eva Ibbotson. Sayangnya buku yang satu ini belum nemu, jadi terpaksa pinjam dulu ke taman bacaan deket rumah. Lalu, seperti biasa, saya masuk ke dunia fantasi!

Senangnya bisa bertemu para penyihir unik. Selain Heckie si penyihir hewan dan Dora si penyihir batu, ada juga penyihir keju yang selalu menciptakan keju-keju bergerak-entah-untuk-apa, ada penyihir kebun yang tanpa kesulitan dapat menumbuhkan jenis buah atau sayur apa saja dengan ukuran besar-daripada-normal, juga penyihir mekanik dengan penelitian balon udara-bahan-omong-kosong.
Tokoh-tokoh unik ini berpadu dengan tiga bocah manusia normal. Sumi yang cerdas, Daniel yang terabaikan, dan Joe yang suka membantu di kebun binatang.
Hem, sudah terbayang petualangan seru mereka membuat dunia menjadi tempat yang lebih baik? Hihihi ..
Bagian yang paling saya suka? Terbang dengan balon udara berbahan bakar omong kosong Menteri Pendidikan yang mengatakan bahwa anak-anak sekolah butuh lebih banyak lagi ujian. Dan tahukah kamu, balon itu langsung melesat ke udara!

Selain petualangan serunya, Not Just a Witch bercerita tentang persahabatan, pertengkaran, gengsi, dan kerinduan. Tentang keluarga. . Kasih sayang yang hilang, lalu ditemukan.

Untuk ukuran novel anak, cerita Not Just a Witch tidak mengandung selipan pesan atau ilmu pengetahuan disana-sini. Ceritanya mengalir begitu saja, menghibur. Namun, ketika kamu selesai membacanya, kamu tahu bahwa memburu binatang itu tidak baik. Kamu lantas berpikir, bahkan seorang penyihir pun ingin berbuat baik, bagaimana denganmu?

"Sekarang, aku mau bertanya padamu. Apakah kau pernah melihat kangguru melemparkan bom supermarket, membunuh anak-anak kecil? Apakah kau pernah melihat anteater, binatang pemakan semut, membajak pesawat terbang? Atau hamster yang memukuli kepala wanita-wanita tua lalu mencuri tas tangan mereka? Apakah kau pernah melihat hamster perampok? Masalahnya sangat sederhana. Hewan tidak jahat. Manusialah yang jahat...Aku berbuat baik dengan mengubah manusia jahat menjadi hewan." - Heckie, halaman 29-30.

Hihi..
Selamat membaca, ya!
\(^-^)/

[EmiliAna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hecky und Dora haben sich in der Hexenschule kennen gelernt. Wie später Harry Potter wuchsen sie in normalen Familien auf, anders jedoch als bei jenem berühmten Zauberlehrling wurden ihre ungewöhnlichen Fähigkeiten nicht ignoriert, sondern im Gegenteil sanft gefördert, um ihnen die bestmögliche und auf ihre Talente zugeschnittene Ausbildung angedeihen zu lassen – und diese war eben nur in besagter Hexenakademie möglich, in der sie die nächsten dreißig Jahre ihres Lebens, denn so lange dauert die Formation für Hexen, verbrachten.
Sehen wir hier Anleihen an die allseits berühmte Joanne K. Rowling? Oder anders gefragt, hat sich die englische Schriftstellerin mit österreichischen Wurzeln, Eva Ibbotson, von Harry Potter inspirieren lassen? Weit gefehlt! Es dürfte eher umgekehrt gewesen sein, denn „Not just a witch“ ( im Deutschen: „Das Geheimnis der Hexen von Wellbridge“ ) erschien bereits im Jahre 1989, zu einer Zeit also, als Mrs. Rowling noch keinerlei Anstalten machte, mit ihrer siebenbändigen Reihe zu beginnen, die mehr als ein Jahrzehnt später weltweit Furore machen sollte.
In einem Interview zwei Jahrzehnte später aber äußerte sich Eva Ibbotson nur lobend über das Werk Rowlings, schien geradezu stolz darauf zu sein, dass ihre eigenen zauberhaften Geschichten ganz offensichtlich eine Inspiration für die berühmte Schottin waren. So war Eva Ibbotson – großzügig, liebenswürdig, nie auf vermeintlich ältere Rechte pochend und frei von jedem Groll, den die meisten anderen wohl hegen würden, wenn ihr eigenes Werk als Sprungbrett für die Karriere eines anderen gebraucht worden wäre! Wie auch immer, Mrs. Rowling scheint die Bücher der gebürtigen Österreicherin sehr gründlich studiert zu haben, denn es ist längst nicht nur die hier zu besprechende Geschichte, die verblüffende Ähnlichkeit zu der Harry Potter-Reihe aufweist....
Nach Beendigung ihrer langen Ausbildung, um auf unsre beiden Hexen zurückzukommen, kam es dann leider zu einem ernsten Zwist zwischen den einander so liebevoll zugetanen Freundinnen, der Tierhexe Hecky und der Steinhexe Dora. Alle Pläne, die man für eine gemeinsame, der Vollbringung des Guten gewidmeten Zukunft gehegt hatte, lösten sich in Nichts auf, die Freundinnen trennten sich zutiefst traurig und begannen, nicht weit voneinander, sich ihr eigenes Leben aufzubauen. Im Bestreben, die Welt von so vielen Bösewichten wie möglich zu befreien, übten sie ihren jeweils eigenen, ganz speziellen Zauber aus, womit sie manchmal ein wenig übers Ziel hinausschossen, was für den Leser aber höchst vergnüglich zu lesen ist! Dora verwandelte die Unsympathen, die ihr begegneten, in steinerne Statuen und Hecky, die inzwischen in Wellbridge eine Tierhandlung betrieb, in Tiere – in liebenswürdige und freundliche Tiere freilich, die umsorgt werden mussten. Eine glorreiche Idee, so soll angemerkt werden, um die Erde zu einem lebenswerteren Ort zu machen! Und dabei lernte Hecky eines Tages den einsamen Jungen Daniel kennen, dessen hochgebildete, intellektuelle Eltern zwar auf schulischem Gebiet viel von ihm verlangten, aber ihn ansonsten sträflich vernachlässigten.
Daniel ist eine der typischen Eva Ibbotson-Figuren. Man findet Kinder wie ihn, die mit gleichgültigen Eltern bestraft oder gar ungeliebte, ungewollte Waisen sind, als Protagonisten all ihrer Romane. In vorliegendem Buch allerdings spielt dieser Kinder-Charakter eine Nebenrolle – obwohl man sich gewünscht hätte, ihm und dem Hellen, dem Guten, das er verkörpert, wäre größere Bedeutung beigemessen worden. Stattdessen widmet sich die Schriftstellerin in aller Ausführlichkeit den bösen, den niederträchtigen Charakteren, die selbst Hexe Hecky und ihre Freundin Dora lange Zeit nicht durchschauen, weil sie sich haben blenden lassen von dem schmierigen und verlogenen Charme des Oberbösewichtes, einem Mister Knacksap, der beiden Freundinnen gleichzeitig und ohne dass sie dessen gewahr waren, die Ehe versprochen hatte. Blind vor Liebe – nun ja, sie waren schließlich beide nicht mehr jung und sehr ansehnlich waren sie auch nicht – hörten sie weder auf Warnungen von außen noch auf die eigene innere Stimme, die immer drängender wurde...
Dass Eva Ibbotsons Romane grundsätzlich ein positives Ende haben, ist bekannt. Doch kann sich der Leser keineswegs entspannt zurücklehnen und der Dinge harren, die da unweigerlich kommen müssen! Viel zu sehr werden sie auf die Folter gespannt, und erst, als es schon beinahe zu spät ist, erkennen Dora und Hecky, die schließlich der Zufall wieder zusammengeführt hat, zu welch bitterbösem Spiel sie missbraucht wurden. Und so erhält Knacksap, der „Teufel in Menschengestalt“, wie er auf dem Covertext genannt wird, gemeinsam mit seinen üblen Schergen doch noch die gerechte Strafe – über die hier allerdings Stillschweigen bewahrt werden soll...
Fazit: ein starkes Buch mit starken Botschaften! Das ist man gewohnt von Eva Ibbotson, die in all ihren Büchern für junge Leser Missstände anprangert – fast im Märchenton und nie melodramatisch und gewiss auch nie mit erhobenem Zeigefinger. Sie tut das vielmehr auf sehr typische britische Art, mit subtilem, im vorliegenden Werk auch ungewohnt bösem Humor, für den, und hier liegt vielleicht der einzige wirkliche Kritikpunkt, Kinder wohl nur dann empfänglich sind, wenn sie darin geübt sind, wenn sie damit großgeworden sind, wie das bei manchen britischen Kindern ja der Fall sein soll. Ungewohnt grausame Szenen mutet sie dem Leser überdies zu, gerade wenn es um ihr unerschöpfliches Thema, die Tierquälerei, geht, angesichts derer der liebenswerte Daniel, der schon bald eine emotionale Heimat bei Hecky gefunden hat, in Tränen ausbricht – und mit ihm sicherlich so mancher junge Leser! Doch ist der Roman, in dem sich selbstverständlich auch die üblichen liebenswert-eigenwilligen Geschöpfe tummeln, von denen die Autorin einen unerschöpflichen Vorrat zu haben scheint und von denen hier nur der entzückende Drachenwurm erwähnt werden soll, ebenso voller ganz reizender Szenen und skurriler Einfälle – und wer wird je die Fahrt im Ballon vergessen, der nicht etwa von gewöhnlicher Heißluft angetrieben wird, sondern – man kann sich ein gar nicht so stilles Lachen nicht verkneifen! - von der heißen Luft, die Politiker jedweder Couleur im Laufe ihrer Amtszeit und weit darüber hinaus so von sich geben? Eva Ibbotson ist also, mehr als dreißig Jahre nach Erscheinen von „Not just a witch“ - das darf man mit Fug und Recht behaupten - , ganz auf der Höhe der Zeit!

[Marfita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ibbotson writes in the simple declarative sentences of someone telling a bedtime tale ... and then guides the reader gently by the hand into horror. Because it's a children's book, all has to turn out for the best. In the meantime, the most unimaginable cruelties can take place.
There are two witches who were best friends in witching school but had a falling out and went their separate ways. Because they are "good" witches, they try to do good. This seems to consist of finding very bad people and either turning them into interesting animals (that are now "nice" so they must be cared for) or to stone.
If you are a child, this might make sense, and two out of the three children who get involved are happy to help. The third child, a very very smart Asian girl, is reluctant, but she loses her reservations when a white supremacist comes to town. Ah, how easily we respond to fear!
We can also be gulled by love, which steers the witches blindly into cruelty on a mass scale.
If the actions in this book seem horrifying, they are told in a fairytale style, softening them and making them seem palatable until the little snowball runs out of control and the avalanche ensues. This is a cautionary tale. It's about right and wrong. And Ibbotson has very clear ideas what constitutes right and wrong.

[Amalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eva Ibbotson really does have an interesting way with words. She is a good writer, you'll never get confused in her books and you can be sure: she'll make you laugh and will never make you feel bored .

Everyone knows that her ghosts and witches are THE BEST! But over-all each one of her characters is outrageous, their names are the silliest and they do the craziest and stupidest things (the villains do the worst things). They are all here in "Not Just A Witch" again.

Here's how it goes: Hectate Tenbury-Smith aka Heckie is a recent graduate of WAW(witches against wickedness) school. Get this straight, she is not JUST a witch - she’s a good witch who wants to make the world a better place by transforming wicked people into nice animals. Heckie meets a boy named Daniel and soon they start a private club: "The Wellbridge Wickedness Hunters" which includes 3 kids, dragworm (read and find what?), a former witch beauty queen, a garden witch and two "crazy" wizards.
Meanwhile a scheming furrier named Lionel Knacksap makes Heckie fall in love with him... Red Alarm! Red Alarm!

The only problem I find here is, there is too much violence. So more suitable for upper graders: Grade 6-8.

[Eden Silverfox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heckie is an animal witch and that means she can turn people into animals. As a child her parents enroll her in a school for witches and there she meets Dora, who is a stone witch and can turn things into stone.

For 30 years they've been best friends, but on the day of their graduation from witch school, they have a fight. Instead of living together and making the world a better place after school is finished, they decide to go their own separate ways, each making to a different town.

In Heckie's new town, she befriends a boy named Daniel. Daniel and other friends help Heckie in her mission to do good.

This is a very fun book. It's a bit silly and even a bit serious at times. Heckie is an interesting character and I thought it was neat she was an animal witch. Also, I really liked her Dragworm (a creature she created). If they were real, I wouldn't mind having one of my own.

Dora was great too. So were Daniel, Sumi and the other characters that were friends of Heckie. It was a good book and fun. I enjoyed it.

[Lisa Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in the same world of witches as "Which Witch," this story begins with a friendship that began in school between Dora and Heckie. The best of friends, and both very powerful witches by their own right, they prepare to go out in the world and "do good" together. However, when they both show up at their graduation wearing the same hat, an argument ensues and a chain of events gets set in motion that neither of them can foresee. Lonely now, they head off to different cities to try and do good - Heckie by turning bad guys into animals, while Dora turns them into statues. When they both come in contact with one of the worst villains yet, will they be able to overcome their pride to work together, or to lose the day.

Just a cute and quirky book. I loved silly Heckie and her crazy toe of transformation, and I especially loved Daniel, the lonely little boy who befriends a good witch and tries to help her fight the bad guys. Great book for middle to younger grades, but anyone might enjoy it.

[Chantkiya W · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book I read was called Not Just a Witch by Eva Ibbotson. This book is about a good witch named Heckie who can turn animals/people into any animal she wants to. Her parents sent her to a good witch school when she was young, while she was there she met a witch named Dora who can turn people to stone and they became friends. When it was their “graduation” they all got to choose a special hat to wear when they both showed up wearing the same hat they got into an argument and haven't spoken since. Then Heckie moved to Wellbridge and met some friends named Sumi and Daniel who are in high school they met when Daniel saw Heckie change the baby they were babysitting into a dog then turned him back into a baby. A while after Heckie met someone named Mr.Knacksap who she started dating after he found out she could turn people into animals. Heckie told him the whole Dora situation, he started dating Dora at the same time because wanted 300 snow leopard skins from prison and thought Dora could change the guards into stone so Heckie could change the prisoners into leopards. They soon found out his plan and got revenge on him after Dora and Heckie moved in together in the “paradise cottage” they were supposed to live in with Mr.Knacksap, and Dora became friends with Daniel.

The author of this book did a good job of making the book entertaining and me being able to understand what's going on in the book. The thing that makes me mad is that sumi is so perfect. Sumi also cried a lot and everyone felt bad for her so I feel like she didn't need to express her crying, I think she just wanted attention. I connected with Daniel on how he is so quiet and everyone was surprised when he actually talked. The book affected me when Daniel said his parents don't care for him because they are both professors and Daniel isn't that smart. My dad does care for me but I know there are people in the world whose parents don't care for them.

I recommend this book to people between the ages of 9-15. The book was 185 pages and it was easy to read. I don't think older people would like this book because it's like a kids fantasy book so maybe it would be too kiddish for older teenagers. I like how the book all leads up to one thing with giving you hints and you would expect it but at the same time you wouldn’t. The book made me know that I now like fantasy books. But I also feel like the book could be a little more believable.

[Mihika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Eva Ibbotson but i realise now why her books aren’t as popular as they should be. ‘The Secret of Platform 13’ and ‘The Star of Kazan’ could have been as popular as Harry Potter as Rowling seemed to have lifted so many ideas from them. The problem is that although Ibbotson’s ideas, stories and characters are amazing, her tone and content do not match. The content is adult and depictions of violence and cruelty too dark and graphic for children but somehow her tone is for children and too childish at times to be read by a broad spectrum of adult readers. I think this is quite sad as ‘Not Just a Witch’ and most of her other books have amazing ideas which really could have been groundbreaking bestsellers with some better editing and advice, but missed the mark.

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think that the problem was there was no main character. Maybe if she had written more from Daniel's point of view? Or even from Hectate's point of view? The good intentions, the emotions, the frustration or depression could have made some sort of impact. If I had seen how evil the man was from Daniel's point of view, or how frustrating it was for him when Hectate didn't believe him... There wasn't any emotion to this so I was never drawn in to feel much of anything for any of the characters either. The plot was good.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a witch called Heckie Tenbury Smith, but she is not an ordinary witch, she is an animal witch! This means she can turn evil people into harmless animals, as she can do this she is very interesting! One day a boy called Daniel encounters something very strange and he finds himself in a pet shop where Heckie lives, Heckie has a very special pet which is a dragworm! Join other witches and wizards as you read this book! BEWARE! There is a bad guy hidden in this book and he will try and trick you ! I really recommend this book to any one who loves magic, animals and adventures!

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is part children's book and part political commentary for their parents--and any other adult readers. Two rather nice witches dedicate themselves to doing good. The problem is deciding what constitutes 'doing good' and how to decide when someone is 'evil enough' to be dealt with by these do-gooders. Taking justice into one's own hands is never a good answer, no matter how you justify your actions, and that's a lesson well worth learning here--for all ages.

[Hannah Belyea · Rating 2 out of 5]

After a fallout with her best friend, graduated witch Heckie settles into a small town and decides to use her magic for good, turning evil folk into animals - but, amongst new companions who aid in her mission, she and her old schoolmate are caught in the web of someone looking to abuse their powers! Ibbotson brings young readers a moderately entertaining tale of magical hijinks, though and uneven balance of morbid imagery and wonky characterization.

[Wetdryvac · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw that Ursula Vernon had listed Ibbotson as an influence, well, I had to check them out. Super extra specially pleased I did. It's a different sort of writing than much of Vernon's, but the same mix of good cheer and cleverness applied to deserving characters.

I particularly like Ibbotson's mad takes on ethics which show up exceptionally well here.

[Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ibbotson is a lovely storyteller but Not Just a Witch doesn't quite fit. It's difficult to figure out it's target audience. The prose is tightly written and the story isn't complicated, but it's not a book for beginners either. Ibbotson doesn't shirk on her varied vocabulary (a good thing) and doesn't talk down (also a good thing) but the ideas are a little haphazard and the story a little patchwork. Good readers who can cope with Ibbotson's writing have far more accessible and better humour/fantasy novels out there. And while Not Just a Witch has it's funny moments, it's not a laugh out loud book and often the jokes are subtle chuckles aimed at adults rather than children.

The titular witch, Heckie, has the power to turn people into animals and wishes, controversially, to root out evil and meanness and transform those offenders into a suitable piece of zoo fauna. She has fallen out with her oldest friend, another witch, and over the course of the book they both fall blindly in love with a creepy seller of animal furs who seduces them and sets them up with a wicked plan to transform the local prison inmates into snow leopards and skin them all. A slightly gruesome and amusing plot line except for how irritating the two unbelievably naive witches are; it doesn't fit to their initial characters and doesn't paint a very clever female image in the book. The young characters who befriend, help and try to rescue Heckie from her folly are largely ignored and undeveloped, although they have the potential to be more interesting characters.

Above all, Not Just a Witch seems a little rushed. It's a lightweight comedy with some silly action scenes and little or no background to the witchy characters that populate it, no real feel for the decorative aspects of fantasy and magic. It's not bad either; fun to read and intelligently written for good, mature young readers. But there's better out there, particularly from Ibbotson herself who has written much better novels than this. 4

[Barb Chansky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, I dare you to read Eva Ibbotson and not laugh out loud (never mind falling in love with her characters). Boris's idea about perfect air for balloons is genius! :)

Great story of friendship lost and found, and some great lessons learned along the way. Highly recommend to everyone (including my customers).

[SHANE ELLIS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger warning: animal cruelty (mentions shooting animals, skinning animals for fur etc).
Other than the triggers (I'm vegan), I loved this book.
I want a dragworm familiar of my own.
Highly inventive and thought provoking. Eva Ibbotson was something truly remarkable.