What do you think?
Rate this book
Sabrina the Teenage Witch #3
Good Switch, Bad Switch
Achoo!
Sabrina's got spellfluenza, a nasty little witch virus. Every time she sneezes her powers pop out of her and into the next person. Another sneeze and they're back again -- whew! It's not bad at first -- Sabrina only sneezes in pairs. But then Libby Chessler gets in the way of a solitary achoo and...uh-oh.
It doesn't take Libby long to figure out she's picked up some powerful magic. Now there's just one thing she wants...more! After all, world domination isn't out of the question!
Sabrina's challenge is clear: Follow Libby on her search for bigger and better powers, and stop her.
But can she do it as a mere mortal?
Sabrina's got spellfluenza, a nasty little witch virus. Every time she sneezes her powers pop out of her and into the next person. Another sneeze and they're back again -- whew! It's not bad at first -- Sabrina only sneezes in pairs. But then Libby Chessler gets in the way of a solitary achoo and...uh-oh.
It doesn't take Libby long to figure out she's picked up some powerful magic. Now there's just one thing she wants...more! After all, world domination isn't out of the question!
Sabrina's challenge is clear: Follow Libby on her search for bigger and better powers, and stop her.
But can she do it as a mere mortal?
176 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 1997
7 people are currently reading
328 people want to read
About the author
David Cody Weiss
108 books11 followersDavid Cody Weiss is a published adapter, author, and an editor of children's books and young adult books. Some of the published credits of David Cody Weiss include Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Phonics Comics: Hiro Dragon Warrior - Battle at Mount Kamado (Phonics Comics), Groovy Tube Books: Monsters (Groovy Tube Books), and Phonics Comics: Hiro - Level 2: Dragon Warrior (Phonics Comics).
He was a Writer and letterer who worked for DC and Marvel during the 80s. Weiss is credited in 248 issues for DC Comics.
He was a Writer and letterer who worked for DC and Marvel during the 80s. Weiss is credited in 248 issues for DC Comics.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
August 23, 2023
Sabrina's got a little witch virus. Every time she sneezes her powers pop out of her and into the next person.
It’s a silly concept that does fit the show. But it’s a problem that could have easily been avoided. All she had to do was call the school to say she’s sick and there would have been no problems, and thus also no story.
It’s a silly concept that does fit the show. But it’s a problem that could have easily been avoided. All she had to do was call the school to say she’s sick and there would have been no problems, and thus also no story.
October 7, 2020
Snälla säg att det här finns som ett avsnitt på serien, tror det skulle vara så sjukt kul att se Libby får krafter över en dag.
December 26, 2022
I read a selection of 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch' books for a trip down nostalgia lane in a YouTube video (complete with as re-creation of the original iconic Sabrina opening): https://youtu.be/GOKZ-IxwX-4
June 7, 2018
At one point it’s stated that if horrible materialistic Libby Chessler became ultra powerful she’d end up being Donald Trumps next ex wife and I laughed for the first time since that dipshit took the oath of office
May 4, 2024
A-choo! Our resident ditz-witch, Sabrina, wakes up with a cold...but not just any cold. She has spellfluenza, a witch-specific bug that means that when she sneezes, her powers pop into a mortal, to return only when she next sneezes around them.
How does Sabrina know this, you ask? Well, she asks the witch doctor, of course. And the witch doctor tells her that if she sneezes with no mortals around, her powers will pop back into her, and that she should sensibly stay away from mortals for twenty-four hours...what does Sabrina do?
She goes to school. Where she is the only witch. And she is surrounded by mortals. Because Sabrina is an idiot.
Predictably, things go pear-shaped almost immediately. Also predictably, mean-girl Libby eventually ends up with Sabrina's powers...but maybe less predictably, Libby's actually a little bit creative with what she does with those powers. I read this because I was hoping it would be the one in which Sabrina and her aunts end up trapped in a mall of Libby's creation, and I was correct—though I hadn't remembered just how little of the book they spend trapped in that mall. It's actually kind of too bad (though more on malls in a moment) that they don't spend longer there, because the Escherian style of the mall and the lengths Libby will go to to make the mall a hotbed of her own power are kind of fascinating.
It does seem to say something about the authors (or creators, or publisher), though, that this is only book three of the series...and it's the second book that takes place in the mall. In fact, I read Showdown at the Mall first because I thought it might be this book. Could they really imagine no more interesting location for teenagers to end up?
Also maybe worth noting that when Sabrina asks Harvey what Libby might do with unlimited power, he says this: "Well, she's sixteen," he said, screwing up his face in thought, "so that rules out the White House for a while. I suppose she would want to be a movie star or Donald Trump's new ex-wife. Something where everybody would look up to her and do what she told them to." (82)
First can we acknowledge the creepiness of pointing out that a sixteen-year-old cannot be president but implying that it would be okay for them to be married to someone who was 51 at the time this book was published? And then can we be horrified at the idea that "Trump's new ex-wife" would be on the same plane as being the president? And then...oh, this whole thing is horrifying. I need to go scrub my brain with bleach.
How does Sabrina know this, you ask? Well, she asks the witch doctor, of course. And the witch doctor tells her that if she sneezes with no mortals around, her powers will pop back into her, and that she should sensibly stay away from mortals for twenty-four hours...what does Sabrina do?
She goes to school. Where she is the only witch. And she is surrounded by mortals. Because Sabrina is an idiot.
Predictably, things go pear-shaped almost immediately. Also predictably, mean-girl Libby eventually ends up with Sabrina's powers...but maybe less predictably, Libby's actually a little bit creative with what she does with those powers. I read this because I was hoping it would be the one in which Sabrina and her aunts end up trapped in a mall of Libby's creation, and I was correct—though I hadn't remembered just how little of the book they spend trapped in that mall. It's actually kind of too bad (though more on malls in a moment) that they don't spend longer there, because the Escherian style of the mall and the lengths Libby will go to to make the mall a hotbed of her own power are kind of fascinating.
It does seem to say something about the authors (or creators, or publisher), though, that this is only book three of the series...and it's the second book that takes place in the mall. In fact, I read Showdown at the Mall first because I thought it might be this book. Could they really imagine no more interesting location for teenagers to end up?
Also maybe worth noting that when Sabrina asks Harvey what Libby might do with unlimited power, he says this: "Well, she's sixteen," he said, screwing up his face in thought, "so that rules out the White House for a while. I suppose she would want to be a movie star or Donald Trump's new ex-wife. Something where everybody would look up to her and do what she told them to." (82)
First can we acknowledge the creepiness of pointing out that a sixteen-year-old cannot be president but implying that it would be okay for them to be married to someone who was 51 at the time this book was published? And then can we be horrified at the idea that "Trump's new ex-wife" would be on the same plane as being the president? And then...oh, this whole thing is horrifying. I need to go scrub my brain with bleach.
August 6, 2012
I feel like I have to defend the five-star rating I gave this book, but I LOVED it when I was in fifth grade (hooray for Scholastic Book Orders, right?). It was fun. It was fluffy. It was fast-paced. No, it's not a work of classic literature, or even an enduring piece of children's lit. But I really liked it then, and I think I owe it to my eleven-year-old self to reflect such in the ratings. :)
July 28, 2010
I read this almost ten years ago but I still have moments when I think about it.
Read
August 11, 2020I
September 4, 2024
I'm happy to report this Sabrina book came with a very healthy dose of the reason every cat lover, including my family, turned into this show, Salem Saberhagen! :) It also comes with a healthy siding of Drell, making for some fun moments between both Salem and Drell and Drell/Hilda.
The book started out a laugh a minute and was EXTREMELY hard to put down! That being said, it was very almost another five, but one of the scenes towards the end just, in the words of Sabrina and her friends, "eeked" me out so much I can't give the book a full five stars with an easy conscience. There were so many ways they could have handled another scene than what they did, even if it WAS completely in character for Libby. I definitely recommend this fun read, though, and will certainly be keeping an eye out for more Sabrina (and Salem) books in the (hopefully near) future!
The book started out a laugh a minute and was EXTREMELY hard to put down! That being said, it was very almost another five, but one of the scenes towards the end just, in the words of Sabrina and her friends, "eeked" me out so much I can't give the book a full five stars with an easy conscience. There were so many ways they could have handled another scene than what they did, even if it WAS completely in character for Libby. I definitely recommend this fun read, though, and will certainly be keeping an eye out for more Sabrina (and Salem) books in the (hopefully near) future!
January 13, 2024
That was pretty cute. I'd rate it about 3.5 stars, but there are no half-stars on GR (and there probably never will be.)
For the most part, the characters remained in character, and it read like an actual episode. As a few other people have before me, I will state that Salem is *an American Shorthair*, not a Burmese. Trust me, they look vastly different. I could overlook this if it were done once, but it was at least three or four times. C'mon, man. It even says in the show that Salem is an American Shorthair.
It's the first time in, like, forever that I've read a book this short. I enjoyed it. It was a good palate cleanser from Pillars of the Earth.
For the most part, the characters remained in character, and it read like an actual episode. As a few other people have before me, I will state that Salem is *an American Shorthair*, not a Burmese. Trust me, they look vastly different. I could overlook this if it were done once, but it was at least three or four times. C'mon, man. It even says in the show that Salem is an American Shorthair.
It's the first time in, like, forever that I've read a book this short. I enjoyed it. It was a good palate cleanser from Pillars of the Earth.
August 7, 2020
Um livrinho leve e de leitura muito rápida como seria de esperar da série "Sabrina, a Bruxa Adolescente".
Gosto muito de ler as histórias de Sabrina pois recordam-me da minha infância/adolescência despreocupada. Já nessa época adorava histórias de bruxas boas que se esforçam para ajudar todos em seu redor enquanto, tentam esconder os seus poderes levando uma vida dita "normal".
Gostei especialmente desta história de Sabrina pois, primeiro não há nenhum episódio que se assemelhe na série, e segundo porque é visível que os autores trabalharam bastante a história.
Gosto muito de ler as histórias de Sabrina pois recordam-me da minha infância/adolescência despreocupada. Já nessa época adorava histórias de bruxas boas que se esforçam para ajudar todos em seu redor enquanto, tentam esconder os seus poderes levando uma vida dita "normal".
Gostei especialmente desta história de Sabrina pois, primeiro não há nenhum episódio que se assemelhe na série, e segundo porque é visível que os autores trabalharam bastante a história.
October 21, 2024
Written for the YA market, this is an original novel based on the TV series. Sabrina catches an illness that sends her powers to mortals when she sneezes. Her school foe, Libby, gets the powers and schemes to keep them. A decent read, keeping to the silly spirit of the show.
Oh, and Bobbi JG Weiss is co-author of this book.
Oh, and Bobbi JG Weiss is co-author of this book.
November 25, 2025
There was an episode in the tv show that I thought this book would be similar too, but it was totally different, which could have been okay. I like this book series decently, but this has been my least favorite in it so far. It did seem original, although some of the details seemed to contradict from chapter to chapter. I did finish the book and found parts interesting.
May 7, 2018
Pure entertainment... :)
September 18, 2019
This book was a bit harder to get into at first. However turned out pretty well. I enjoy that the book is quite different from the movie series it is based off of.
August 20, 2020
Too many pov shifts and the characters did not feel totally accurate to their tv selves.
September 14, 2020
I was in the mood for something cute and nostalgic, and this fit the bill perfectly!
November 20, 2020
I can't remember ever seeing this episode if it accompanies one, but it certainly felt like something that could have been a classic episode. Very cute and a blast from the past.
February 18, 2023
I liked the riddle aspects of this, but it would have been nice to see Libby as a more well-rounded character than a straight villain.
June 27, 2023
Das Buch ist an sich gut nur ist die geschlafen sehr sehr langwierig geschrieben und irgendwie hat man irgendwann keine lust mehr weiter zu lesen.
February 15, 2017
Not impressed with this one. It was pretty dull and the authors don't know what breed of cat Salem really is. He's not a Burmese....he's an American Shorthair.
February 9, 2016
The story is very cute. It's based on Sabrina become ill with a disease that affects only witches. Each time she sneezes, her witch powers flow out of her and into someone else. Salem, for example, uses them bring bunches of fish to Sabrina's bedroom.
Other people end up with her powers for a short bit, but the worse one is Libby. She has fashion and power-hungry, and she uses her abilities to make a planet-sized shopping mall. With lots and lots of images of herself, of course.
The whole book is pretty funny, but the part in the shopping mall is, I think, the best. A really cute addition to the series.
Other people end up with her powers for a short bit, but the worse one is Libby. She has fashion and power-hungry, and she uses her abilities to make a planet-sized shopping mall. With lots and lots of images of herself, of course.
The whole book is pretty funny, but the part in the shopping mall is, I think, the best. A really cute addition to the series.
September 30, 2012
Like another reader, I also gave this book five stars because when I read it at 10, I loved it. I loved these books so much, and really regret not reading more of them. I still have moments when I think about them. They were so fluffy and fun! I'd recommend them for any kid starting to read chapter books.
April 27, 2012
I loved all of the Sabrina tales full of magic. Every story was a different adventure and some new and exciting challenge to overcome. These books made me want to have magical powers too but the ending results were hilarious.
May 23, 2018
Read September 2014
The story itself was quite fun and exactly wat I needed after reading Truman Capote's In Cold Blood.
However the writing style really wasn't good.. I don't know if it was just badly written or maybe something got lost with the translation, either way not good.
The story itself was quite fun and exactly wat I needed after reading Truman Capote's In Cold Blood.
However the writing style really wasn't good.. I don't know if it was just badly written or maybe something got lost with the translation, either way not good.
February 8, 2016
These books are really cute and fun, and whenever I see one at a thrift sale I can't resist picking one up. They're light, cute, and fluffy. I didn't enjoy this one as much but it was still a fun read.
June 23, 2025
One of my favourite Sabrina books I’ve read so far. Has all of the main characters and covers both the mortal world and the other realm. Plenty of magic and mischief.
Seems Inspired by season 2 ep 15 finger lickin flu
Seems Inspired by season 2 ep 15 finger lickin flu
February 23, 2008
I used to love this T.V. show, along with the books.. now I don't care for both much anymore.
February 23, 2008
I used to love this T.V. show, along with the books.. now I don't care for both much anymore.
June 26, 2012
Really cute book. It did read like an episode of the show would have gone. I don't have the whole "series" but think it'd be fun to read them all in order.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews