Age 5-7

Mildred Hubble’s experiences at Miss Cackle’s Academy for Witches were loved by children long before Harry was whisked away by Hagrid. Now Jill Murphy has produced her first new book in the Worst Witch series for 10 years. These stories have an old-fashioned simplicity, their language properly suited to the age of the intended readers, neither arch nor slangy nor complicatedly nuanced. Like its predecessors, Murphy’s new book is as much about school relationships as it is about magic: about fear of the strict teacher, and of not being good enough; about the know-all who sucks up to the teachers; about finding friends and learning to fit in. Broomsticks, spells and familiars are the props in the drama of school life. This tale involves problems with a hair-growing spell and a benign new teacher who turns out not to be what she seems, giving Mildred her chance to be heroic. A great joy of the series is Murphy’s black- and-white illustrations, entirely clear and in tune with the text. Best of all are the perfectly pitched expressions on the face of Mildred’s cat Tabby — registering fear, surprise and contentment.

(Puffin hb £9.99/pb £4.99)

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