The Active-Enzyme, Lemon-Freshened Junior High School Witch

Junior High School

by E.W. Hildick

A curious twelve-year-old dabbles in witchcraft with strange results, dragging her younger sister along with her.

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Childrens, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Kids

207 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

E.W. (Edmund Wallace) Hildick was a British children's book author. He was born in Bradford, England in 1925. After two years service in the Royal Air Force he became a secondary school teacher, then a writer, later moving to the United States to become editor of a literary magazine. He died in London in 2001.

Reviews

[Bart Everson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess I read this around 1980 or earlier, when I was a preteen, and something about it stuck with me. I tracked it down 25 years later and read it to my wife in April of 2005. Fast-forward eight more years: I just read it to my five-year-old daughter. It was a little over her head, but she enjoyed it all the same.

It's an interesting novel about a preteen girl who finds a "how to" manual on witchcraft. The first three-quarters of the story concerns her occultish exploits with her younger sister on summer vacation; the latter part of the book takes us home to New York for some unexpected twists.

What's intriguing to me is that this book was published in 1973 when the contemporary practice of witchcraft as a religion or spiritual path was still pretty underground in America. There are many details that suggest the author was familiar with the lore of witches. But at the same time, the narrative stays entirely within the frame of conventional realism. (Some events toward the end seem implausible, but that's not because of magick.) Witchcraft is used here as a means of exploring the character of the protagonist, and on those terms I found it remarkably effective. The author captures some of the youthful yearning for transcendence.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alison McNair wants to transcend the boredom of her family life, and manages to do so when she finds a book on witchcraft at an old vacation home. Her slapdash, madcap approach to sorcery struck a deep chord in me. This book is also great for anyone who has a pesky little sister who insists on tagging along, at the risk of telling mom that you're using her black velvet evening gown for pagan rituals.

[D.M. Dutcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scattershot slice of life book in which a young girl, her younger sister, and her best friend try to become witches through the aid of an old book. Since this was written in the 70s, don't expect Harry Potter, but think Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.

Alison is just getting over the measles, and while grounded one day she finds a book about witchcraft. She tries to follow it using common household items (a hair scrunchy can do for a garter in a pinch) and finds an isolated garret to practice her spells. Alison-now Ariadne Atropos Arachne-is all set on her idiosyncratic path to be a witch. Of course, witchcraft manuals really don't deal with nosy little sisters, so little Jeanne-now Jezebel-joins in. Then its one slice of life happening after another.

It works pretty well for what it is, but it's sort of aimless, with no real plot to speak of. The ending is a bit too contrived and pat for my liking. It's also not a slapdash, hilarious face like the title would suggest. It really does capture the mood of 70s kidlit as I remember it growing up-decently written, naturalistic, and a little bit of debunking myths. That's really nice if you are nostalgic for the era, because there's really no modern kidlit I think that pulls this kind of book off. It either tries to moralize (Because of Winn Dixie) or tackle weighty themes (bridge to Terabinthia, most modern Newberry winners.) This just tells a fun story.

If you can, get the older edition for nostalgia value. The cover is very nice, even if it's probably more Alison's idea of what she would look like as Ariadne than how she really is in the book.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title is what really got me with this book. Julie Coughlin and I were having a contest in junior high to see who could check out a new book first. In those days, you signed your name right in the book next to the date due. I had never seen this particular book on the library shelf before and it looked brand-spanking new like only brand-spanking new library books can look: all smooth and shiny and pristine. I thought, "Wow! A new book! I'm gonna get it before Julie!" I reached for it and opened it to the inside front cover. On the sign-out list dated 2 weeks before, was the name "Julie Coughlin." Julie, wherever you are, thanks for keeping me reading!!!

I remember I loved the story, but I can't remember the details now. Re-reading this will be a lovely re-discovery for me. I hope.

[Sps · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's OK to read things because of the title.

[Andria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first time a book I remember fondly from childhood really failed to live up to my memories. I loved this one so much in 4th grade: it had a sassy heroine, "real magic," with spells and incantations, and the best, longest, title EVER. Reading it now, however...meh. The pacing feels off and the plot uneven: 3/4 witchy, with a mystery ripped off from Rear Window tacked onto the end. But most of all, the 3rd person omniscient narrator bugged me. He didn't seem to like the main character very much, (his opening line: "It's always the same with people like Alison McNair." You can practically hear the eyeroll) and the humor of the book seemed to consist of poking fun at her.

But we already know that Ariadne Atropos Arachne was the most slapdash, headlong, corner-cutting, over-hasty, harum-scarum, hit-or-miss, slaphappy, trigger-happy, breakneck, hell-bent, hotfooted, bull-rushing Beginner Witch ever to trip over a broomstick. A caster of spells? A hurler of them, all bundled up, hugger-mugger and higgledy-piggledy, was what this witch was.

It felt like the book was being narrated by the girls' father, with a condescendingly amused attitude towards the whole thing.

[Sara Amis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book caused me to start telling everyone in the fourth grade that I was going to be a witch when I grew up.

[Haleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books as a kid. For some reason, the title popped into my head this morning, so I popped in to GoodReads to add it to my shelves. If you have children (or enjoy reading children's books) definitely add this to your list.

[CLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alison and Jeannie's antics are just as amusing now as when I first read about them!

My review: https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/20...

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book immoderately as a kid. I haven't read it since.

[Jennifer Heise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot as a pre-teen, but on re-reading it found it much less creepy than I had thought as a child! Very '70s.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A re-read from my adolescence, during which I was fairly obsessed with witchcraft, especially what seemed to me to be REAL witchcraft, with the emphasis on the CRAFT. (Spell-casting, herbs, and magic words, as opposed to the fantasy variety.)

This one didn't let me down, and though it's written in third person, it's got a deep POV style that lets us into the head of Alison McNair as her thoughts race from idea to idea. I related to her, as someone else who has a creative, thought-hopping (probably ADHD) brain.

[Kara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am re-reading all the books I had as a kid, in an effort to donate them with less guilt. I loved this book as an 8-9 year old in the mid 70’s; I lived in England and the American tween life seemed so exotic. This book hasn’t really stood the test of time; it is just ok. I won’t have any regrets putting this one in the donate pile.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw this once in a school library, and meant to read it, but then could never find it again until decades later, something I blame at least partially on the overly complicated title.

Because of that, perhaps I should not be surprised that the inside of the book contains an overabundance of adjectives as well. A limit of one per sentence would probably shorten the book by a few pages. That is something I would have had more patience with back when I first saw it.

For all that, it was a pretty interesting read and I found the chapter on the Dumb Supper pretty moving because I am susceptible to cats. The ending piles on the coincidences pretty thick, except they aren't supposed to be coincidences, I guess, but for the intended audience it's probably reasonable.

[Vivienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having just reread Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth I remembered that there was another similar book that I read. The only thing I remembered was 'lemon-freshened' from the title; I searched this phrase and immediately found this book. I remember the cover. Let's see how a second reading of this book fares.
During my reread, it took me a while to start remembering reading this all those years ago. Actually I was getting bored, but then chapter eleven started and I suddenly started remembering some of the story. A nice reread.

[lola Franco · Rating 3 out of 5]

i am trying to figure out why i saved this book all these years. it wasn't very good. i didn't read it more than once, the spine was barely broken. but it takes place in what is likely north salem, so maybe that's why. not really worth re-reading though...

[HeavyReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I totally remember the title and cover of this book. I totally remember reading this book, possibly more than once. I think I even remember liking this book. But I don't remember a thing about the plot, even after reading other reviews.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I plan to re-read this book soon.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/...

[Síonaìnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Been a favourite of mine since I was a child :)