What The Witch Left

Matter-of-Fact Magic

by Ruth Chew

A locked drawer in an old chest -- and Katy and Louise have the key! When the girls open the drawer, they find --A little round mirror with a tarnished silver frame,A long bathrobe with a hood,A pair of gloves,A pair of red rubber boots,An old metal box with the picture of a fruitcake on the lid-- just ordinary stuff. OR IS IT?

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

Paperback

First published February 1, 1973

About the author

Ruth Chew is the author of a number of popular books for young readers, including Secondhand Magic and The Wednesday Witch. She was born in Minneapolis and grew up in Washington, D.C. She studied art at the Corcoran School of Art and worked as a fashion artist. She was the mother of five children.

Reviews

[Mischenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

We found our copy of What the Witch Left at a used book sale. When I saw the cover, I vaguely remembered reading it and other Ruth Chew books in the past. Our copy is in good condition for its age. The cover is rough but structurally sound. It won’t be long before it needs some tape reinforcement though.

This paperback edition was published in 1973 by Scholastic Book Services. It’s the perfect length for an elementary chapter book at 128 pages. There aren’t that many illustrations, but you get a glimpse of what the girls look like and parts of their adventure. We liked that the illustrations are simple charcoal pencil and created by the author herself.

The story begins with Katy who currently has her friend Louise over for a hangout. Louise is very curious about what’s inside an old chest of drawers in Katy’s room. Once she gets to the bottom drawer, she discovers it’s locked and demands to know what’s inside.

The bottom drawer was locked. “The stuff in there belongs to Aunt Martha,” Katy said. “She left it here ages ago when she went on a trip.”

Katy opens the drawer with an old key, and they find some neat things inside, including an old mirror, some gloves, boots, and a strange orange robe. When Katy puts on the gloves, she discovers she can play piano like never before. The gloves are magic! Then they check out the mysterious boots which can magically transport them anywhere they wish to go. Louise and Katy can’t help themselves and quickly plan a trip to Florida. They’re super excited to swim and soak up the sun. By using one boot for each girl, they stick together and step until they reach a mysterious place: Mexico. Here they meet a little girl named Pilar. The girls gain an understanding about what Pilar’s life is like in Mexico and how different it is from theirs. Luckily they remembered to bring some much-needed items with them on their trip.

This is such a deliciously magical story. Just the thought of having a magic pair of gloves to remedy all your inabilities and a pair of boots that’ll take you anywhere in the world in record time is incredibly fascinating. I have to say, What the Witch Left is an ultimate escape read for kids. It’s enchanting and had my 7-year-old totally engrossed.

The only parts I didn’t like were those involving the girls lying to their parents and doing things they weren’t supposed to be doing. Louise was too assertive at times, but Katy does have a conscience and recognizes when they’re doing something wrong. There are some good lessons in the story that promote discussion, especially with the girls’ kindness towards others. The ending is fun, imaginative, and leaves you questioning what could be next.

Overall, If you have kids who enjoy stories with magic and adventure, I highly recommend this one. It’s stories like these that inspire children to problem solve, and think creatively. It’s a fun, quick, and easy read anyone can enjoy.

We just love Ruth Chew and ended up purchasing a handful of her other titles for our collection, which I hope to share for future Shabby Sundays.

This book is a Shabby Sunday feature @www.readrantrockandroll.com

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a favorite of mine as a child and I'm enjoying rereading it for the umpteenth time. There is something extraordinarily charming about believing in magic as a child. It's like believing in Santa Claus and the tooth fairy and that your parents are the bravest, strongest, most perfect people on the planet.

In this dog-eat-dog world, sometimes it's nice to remind yourself of the time when life was much less complicated and lessons could be learned through magic cloaks and boots and there is a box that contained the things you lost--like your innocence.

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I looked so hard for this book..could not remember the title!

But I did remember the sense of magical wonderment I felt when reading it.

It is a lovely little fairy tale of a book that I remember fondly from childhood.


Wouldn't it be great to wear shoes where if you take one step you are in another world or another state or country?

It reminds me of "The Chronicles of Narnia". Sp glad I found this again!

Sometimes this type of purity, this ever-lasting eternal magical feeling can be found only in children's books. And though we may grow up, the sense of wonderment always remains.

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two little friends, Katy and Louise, find that Katy's aunt Martha's stored possessions have some unusual properties. They have some fun (but not too naughty) adventures, get in a little (but never very serious) trouble, and provide a bit of minor help to others.

An easy but very engrossing read, great for elementary schools kids. Chew seems to have written a lot, I don't know how I never encountered her before.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

One boring rainy afternoon, Katy and her friend Louise are hanging out in Katy's bedroom when Louise becomes curious about what is in the chest of drawers stored there. The first three drawers yielded not really interesting, but the bottom, fourth drawer was locked and Katy, as explained to Louise, she was not allowed to open it. The things in the bottom drawer belong to her mother's Aunt Martha, whom Katy has never met. But, curiosity gets the best of the girls, and off they go off to fetch the key.

Inside they find a bunch of ordinary looking items - a mirror, a bathrobe, an old dented metal box with a fruitcake painted on it, a pair of boots and some flesh colored gloves. But are they really ordinary?

When Katy put the gloves on, she notices that, oddly enough, she couldn't see them on her hands. But before she had time to take them off and put them back in the draw, her piano teacher arrives. Still wearing the gloves, Katy's piano playing goes better than usual, even her teacher is impressed. Later, when Katy isn't wearing the gloves, her piano playing was just a bad as ever. Likewise, without the gloves, Louise is just a girl who draws well, but when she wears the gloves, she becomes a masterful artist.

Concluding that the items in the drawer are truly magical, the best friends continue to be drawn to it, especially when they start getting perfect spelling tests while wearing the gloves. All that sounds pretty good, but. needless to say, soon the gloves lead to all kinds of school problems for the girls, including pandemonium in the auditorium when Louse wears the bathrobe in a school play and all you can see of here is her head floating through the air.

Over Thanksgiving break, Katy and Louise decide to try out the boots. Called Seven League Boots, the girls calculate that each step in these boots equals 21 miles. So the girls decide to so south where it is warm for a day of swimming. And sure enough, in no time they find themselves in Mexico, meeting a young girl named Pilar and her donkey. Pilar and her grandmother weave place mats to sell in the market to tourists. Wearing the magic gloves, Katy and Louise spend part of their day helping her weave her mats, and because Louise's artistic talents are enhanced by the gloves, she makes mats with an unusual design to them.

But when the girls return home to Brooklyn, they discover the gloves are missing and they must return to Mexico the next day. They find the gloves and teach Pilar how to do the new place mat design, which have been a hit in the marketplace.

The girls have lots of adventures with the items in the bottom draw, until...well, you'll just have to read the book to find out.

I loved this slow-paced, magical story. But, how could I not love a book that not only takes place in Brooklyn, but near Church Avenue, my old stomping ground. I do, however, think What the Witch Left is a nice companion chapter book for kids who are just starting to get into Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Tree House series. And, in a day and age when kids can't wait to read books like Harry Potter, it is a perfect introduction to books about magical worlds and fantasy and to spark the imaginations of young readers and prepare the way for the kind of magical world Harry lives in.

The story is well-written, and there are no real scary bits in it. I did find that What the Witch Left held up very well over time, although I don't think children go out to play without supervision any more quite the way that they do in this book. Given that the book was published about 40 years ago, it might be a nice book to read with a parent or grandparent who has fond memories of reading it when they were young.

One nice thing worth mentioning: the dustcover illustration has been redone for this new edition, but underneath the DJ is the original illustration from the 1973 edition of What the Witch Left.

This book is recommended for readers age 7-10
This book was borrowed from the NYPL


This review was originally posted on Randomly Reading

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a fun little story but I think the grown-up in me got in the way of finding it outstanding in any way. I liked the idea of "ordinary magic" and that they could do some special things (like make better music (or art, or whatever) or travel to far-away places quickly) but that it was all kind of everyday things, not deeply involved magic and fantasy (though I do like that sort of story, too). I think the storytelling and plot was just too simple for me at this point in my life, and the word-weaving didn't seem particularly special or memorable, though I would probably have enjoyed it more when I was a kid (and I do remember liking Ruth Chew's books as a kid). I also wasn't a big fan of all the sneaking around behind the parents' backs and white lies and all that and I'm not sure there was ever really any consequence for it. But, it's a very quick and easy read and good for a non-scary read at Halloween time.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this as a little girl. It was one of my favorites and I read it many, many times. Now after being out of print for many years they are being reissued and at first I was a little worried. Would they hold up or would I be sadly disappointed and my memories spoiled?

Well, I can report back that it was just as great as I remembered! Perfect for kids reading Magic Tree House, Junie B and Judy Moody. I know the perfect little girl for this book :)



Buy this title at Powells Books.

[C. (Comment, don't blank click reviews). · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s possible I read Ruth Chew as a child. She published ahead of my school age. I didn’t know “Witch In The House”, 1975 but found it original, cute, and whimsical. When I spotted “What The Witch Left”, 1973: although I had merely heard of its title, I snapped it up. It carried me away instantly, effortlessly, to 5-star heights! If the other novel was nice: this was ceaselessly engaging, the utmost in creativity, and forever remembered.

As a matter of fact, when I reached a page about rubber boots... I stopped. Déja-vu washed over me. I knew what they would do; exactly how the girls would use them! Either they are a concept from an old fable, or Ruth originated a mythical tool so fascinating; it rested in the mind of the very young child I must have been. It’s exactly what we dream a witch would be: not traditional spell-intoning ‘magick’ with a ‘K’ but MAGIC with a ‘C’! Mother stores articles for a friend of ‘Katy’s’ Grandma, in a spare chest of drawers. ‘Aunt Martha’ has been abroad since Katy’s birth. With the chest residing in her room, it’s a wonder she didn’t unlock it earlier but her pal ‘Louise’ begs a look.

They behold basic personal belongings: skin-shade gloves, a robe, a hand mirror, a square tin, and rubber boots. I wish there were a longer conversation with Aunt Martha but the whole book is fulfilling. I love that Ruth saw no need to bring about strife nor any harsh lesson. We freely enjoy these girls’ adventures, as they discover what each garment can do. What’s more the author didn’t disregard logic. Their behaviour makes sense as the girls prepare for each experiment very carefully. The parts since meeting ‘Pilar’ are the most enchanting of all.

[Deborah Francisca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as a child, it was one of the first books i ever purchased through scholastic books in grade school! I could not remember the name of the book and searched for years based on the story line. I found it two weeks ago! Priceless childhood memory! I think Ruth Chew was the original of originals when it came to writing magical books. She led the way for the Harry Potter type stories, more mild of course but ahead of her time.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved all the Ruth Chew books as a girl, but this was my favorite of all. I still think about it often---the gloves that make you do everything well, the boots that make every step miles long---just so imaginative! It's amazing that in such simple language, Chew could stir up images and ideas that other authors took long novels to do and didn't do as well.

[Lobstergirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books. I read it about 40 times. The 7-league boots were the best.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the chest of drawers in Katy Turner's bedroom, there is a locked drawer in which her granny's friend, Aunt Martha, has left some of her things. One day, Katy and her friend Louise decide to peek in the drawer. What they find on this and subsequent looks into the secret hiding place is a collection of magical items: gloves that make it effortless to work with one's hands, a bathrobe that makes the wearer invisible, a pair of boots to shorten travel distances, and a tin box and a hand mirror with less obvious magical properties. As Katy and Louise learn the powers of these magical objects, they also encounter a number of unexpected difficulties caused by meddling with magic.

This is not a Halloween book per se, since it is set closer to Thanksgiving, but I read it aloud to my older two daughters in October to satisfy their desire for non-spooky witch books, and it hit just the right note with both of them. Ruth Chew writes fantasy in a style similar to the realistic fiction of Carolyn Haywood. The characters are believable little girls with cozy home lives, and though they go on adventures, they are never in any real danger, nor do they get into any kind of trouble that can't be resolved inside of a chapter or two. There is some suspense, which caused my girls to frequently beg for just one more chapter, but not enough that anyone would lose sleep worrying about the fate of the characters.

Though I read this book aloud, it's really ideal as an independent read for a child around the third grade level. I will probably continue to read Chew's books aloud for a little while since my girls have latched onto them so readily, but I'm also keeping them in mind for my current four-year-old beginning reader to enjoy on her own in a few years.

This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the 'everyday magic' of course. This one seems a bit more thoughtful than some of the ones that are more straight up adventures. But I can't recommend it because of the extensive Thanksgiving motif with all its inaccuracies and (unintentional) racism, including a reference to blankets (apparently Chew didn't know that these had been contaminated with smallpox in a deliberate attempt to kill off Native/Indian peoples). However, if a reader can stomach that, the rest of the book is a joy.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my absolutely favorite books when I was growing up. I must have read it at least fifty times. Re-read it as an adult and feel like it holds up pretty well - pacing is pretty quick. The girls' finds and travels are fun and interesting. Would still recommend to a young reader who likes books involving magic without any romantic subtext interfering with a good story about friendship and adventure.

[Mary-ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this as a young girl. It was one of the books that made me fall in love with reading and fantasy. It was lovely to revisit it. It’s such a delightful fantasy adventure. And I still wish I had a pair of seven league boots.

[Tabitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable. The delicate illustrations by the author were a beautiful touch (I love when authors illustrate their own stories!). I did get a little frustrated that it took them so long to figure out the fruitcake tin, but I was impressed with how bold they were in using the boots! Also— spoiler alert— I liked how they never told their parents and it never turned into a moralization about lying. As a kid, sometimes it’s nice to have things only you know about.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book when I was in grade school. I thought it was called the boots of seven leagues, but it turns out that that’s just one element of the magic found in the bottom dresser drawer of the little girl in the story. I didn’t know that about following authors or I might have read more of the works of Ruth Chew. It was fun to reread one of my childhood favorites.

[Jaymie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love finally finding old books that you read as a kid. I have wondered what that magical book with magic gloves was called. It was so fun to revisit.

[Qt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun and pleasant read. I think I would have liked it more as a little kid, but it was still enjoyable.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bored on a rainy day, Katy and Louise find the key to the mysteriously locked bottom drawer in Katy's chest of drawers. It contains things belonging to Katy’s mom’s Aunt Martha. When they open the drawer, the contents seem unremarkable: an old robe, flesh-colored gloves, a tin box, a broken mirror and a pair of red rubber boots. But when they begin using the objects, they discover each one has a magical power. The robe has the magic of invisibility; the box can locate lost objects; the gloves improve dexterity, the mirror can grant wishes and the boots can move the wearer by leaps and bounds all over the world. Katy and Louise slowly discover the adventures they can have. They take advantage of the new-found magic objects, but their adventures are not without mishaps. This re-issue of the 1970’s “Matter-of-Fact Magic” title tells a simple fantasy story in a time when play was spurred by imagination rather than electronics. The fantasy world the girls experience is unassuming and refreshing. The writing is unfussy and a bit old-fashioned, but it would be a good fit for those interested in beginning chapter books.

[Bettielee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as darling as I remembered. I had this when I was a child but lost it at some point. I had been looking for this book for years and could never find it. I had the wrong title stuck in my head - one day I just googled "invisible seven league boots Pilar" and up it came! I was so excited to find it again. This is a wonderful children's story about a girl named Katy and her best friend Louise's adventures with some items found locked in a old chest of drawers. The story has really stayed with me - I remembered just about every bit of it and the illustrations, as I nearly read the covers off it. This was first published in 1973 and I was born in 1971. I got it sometime during first or second grade. This even has the original drawings inside! I wish it had the original creepy cover (I am leaving the weird cover as my edition tho I have the new one - I am too nostalgic about that creepy old cover.) I wish I knew what else Aunt Martha got up to. As a writer, I almost want to explore her story for myself.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books when I was in the 4th grade. I remembered it a few years ago, but couldn’t remember the title. I posted it in a book group site and someone came up with the right book instantly! I bought the exact edition I used to have and have reread it twice now. I think I should try to read it every October! My favorite piece of magic is still the seven league boots. I’d love to travel 21 miles per step!🥰📚🐉

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A reread for me. I enjoyed reliving the girls adventures with the items in he drawer. I always wanted gloves and a box like they had. I ead this as a child, teen, and adult and the magic is still there, the warm feelings of revisiting old well-loved childhood things.

[Crystal Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruth Chew was one of my favorite authors during my childhood. I have fond memories of reading her Witch books. They fostered my love for children's literature.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with my fourth grade son. We both really liked it. And, since it is October, it was a fun to read a non-scary, witch, read.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one of my all-time favorites as a kid with many, many repeated readings.

[John Hoole · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few months ago it just popped into my mind, unbidden: seven league boots. Seven league boots! As Wikipedia has it, "The boots allow the person wearing them to take strides of seven leagues per step, resulting in great speed. The boots are often presented by a magical character to the protagonist to aid in the completion of a significant task." I remembered being captivated by the idea of them when I was in first or second grade and the feeling I had about them stuck with me in my abiding interest in magic objects. When I read the Wikipedia page, this book was cited as featuring them, which vividly brought me back to elementary school -- I remember sitting in the large cardboard box that was the "time out" room because, typically, I had done something to threaten the good order of the classroom. Though I was being isolated as a punishment, my cardboard walls were thin and I could hear What the Witch Left being read by the teacher clear as day. The writing is not fancy and the plot is very simple - though warned against doing so, two girls get into a locked drawer that holds a number of innocuous-seeming items: a mirror, a bathrobe, a pair of gloves, a box, and red rubber boots. The story is a very matter-of-fact account of what the experience of making use of powerful magic objects would be like. The seven league boots, which the girls share by each wearing one, do the most work, transporting them to Mexico, where the make a friend and get into some mild trouble. Though a modest book, reading it again as an adult, I felt the stir of that same little breeze of magic that I did all those years ago.

[Kathy Piselli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read something by this prolific children's author who has recently died. Her books are set in Brooklyn, where she lived most of her adult life. Her house came on the market and as soon as I saw its decorated mantel and furnishings I wanted to see what kind of books she wrote and illustrated. This is an old-fashioned story of girls who discover mysterious items in a locked drawer, but the mysteries are wondrous, they get to travel to Mexico and they don't really ever get in trouble. The storytelling is fun and gentle, all loose ends are tied up, there is witchcraft without evil. This 2013 edition received new cover art - more cartoony than Chew's charcoal and pastels, and with more detail than needed - I much prefer the suggestive nature of the original that allows any girl to put herself in the picture.

[Laura]

This is a book I remember reading multiple times as a child -- probably late elementary school or early middle school. It's a bit like magical realism for the middle-grade reader. I hadn't read the book since childhood, so had forgotten some of the magical details. I had remembered the invisibility robe and the Seven League boots, but had forgotten about the magical gloves, mirror, and metal box. Who wouldn't wish for gloves that, when you put them on, give you a higher level of skill at everything you attempt: drawing, playing the piano, schoolwork, etc., a mirror that would show you anything you wanted to see, or a box in which you would find items you had misplaced. I found the illustrations charming and had forgotten that the author was also the illustrator.

[Alexandra Scarborough · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for the first time when I was 8 or so. It became an instant favorite, and I'm sure I re-read it voraciously. I loved the idea of all the simple but magical items Katy and Louise stumbled upon, especially those boots--boots that would take you into new territory with every step, even all the way to Mexico.

A re-read as a much older adult did not disappoint. While it went much more quickly than it did when I was a child, it still proved itself to be a fun, fanciful tale of magic and delight. The illustrations interspersed throughout are another way to prompt the imagination. I also loved the open ending. Highly recommended for any child, even though it was written decades ago.