| Title | : | The Worst Witch Saves the Day (Worst Witch, #5) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0141314346 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780141314341 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 156 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1999 |
The Worst Witch Saves the Day (Worst Witch, #5) Reviews
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I have always loved these books and finding one you haven't read before is always a delight. Everything you could want in a series of children's books.
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What a brilliant story! Mildred often finds herself in a spot of bother exactly when it’s needed!! I don’t know what the Academy would do without her.
I don’t think I can stand much more of Ethel though - someone really needs to put her into her place as she’s driving me nuts.
Miss Hardbroom seems to be softening towards the girls a little bit 😂😂 -
Another adventure for Mildred and Co., and this time people have the grace to point out that most of Mildred's accidents aren't her fault. This story starts with a hair disaster and ends with people being transformed into ants and snails, and also features a really weird new teacher.
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Michael, Gregory and I listened to this story as an ebook. It was our first introduction to the escapades of Mildred Hubble and her friends and it was very entertaining. Mildred is the worst witch in Miss Cackles Academy of Witchcraft and has a history of getting herself into impossible scrapes. Everything Mildred does seem to lead to complete disaster for her and her pets. Mildred's class has a new teacher and she is a very unusual witch with an extraordinarily high pitched voice and a very unorthodox way of teaching. Mildred runs into trouble with a hair curling iron and this ultimately leads to her discovering some rather interesting things about her new teacher, Miss Granite. Can Mildred, with the help of her tabby cat and her friends, manage to save the teachers of Miss Cackle's Academy from a dastardly plot?
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These books have every single feeling all at once. I can laugh, I can cry, they are funny, they are scary. The worst witch gets into a bit of trouble, but she often saves the day. These books remind me that sometimes mistakes are good and accidents can lead the way to success.
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This left me so exasperated! Mildred never retaliates when Ethel is spiteful to her, which probably makes Mildred a better person than me, but the fact that Mildred also trusts Ethel after everything she's done is downright alarming. Case in point: in this book Mildred lets Ethel chop off all her hair, then she drinks a regrowth potion that Ethel oh so kindly brews for her. Mildred, you deserved everything you got with that one. I also wanted to facepalm when Mildred turns herself into an ant -- and then promptly forgets the counter spell to turn herself back. The situation with Miss Granite was ridiculous as well. I may be judging this book harshly because it came out in 2005 and so I never read it as a child, but I'd like to think that even my 7-year-old self could have seen through Miss Granite's "disguise".
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Zachary loved this. I think this is one of my favourite books in the WW series.
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Another great adventure with Mildred Hubble. As I recommended this for young readers, I just wanted to note that Ethel is just a bit meaner to Mildred in this one: “Had a brain transplant during the hols (holidays)?” Ethel is always mean, but it’s usually just her being competitive and dismissive, rather than outright nasty. Also, it mentions Miss Hardbroom possibly having sherry. Otherwise, it’s just as lighthearted and fun as the others!
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Review to come :)
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This has been my favorite book since the first one.
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Poor Mildred getting as usual in some troubles but I love it how she always ends up the heroine of the story. It was fun and enjoyable, I love this witch.
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So wonderful to read the Worst Witch again. I now want to get all the books for a re-read!
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Haha, I don't know why I find this one so funny. I guess the idea of the hair just taking over completely. Also, I am super jealous because I have been losing so much hair! Lucky Mildred!
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Loving tabby more than ever but think that the whole snail thing was recycled
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Ethel can't keep getting away with this.
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ماجرای این جلد هم به این صورته که شخصیت بد قصه قیافهش رو عوض میکنه و خودش رو معلم جا میزنه و وارد مدرسه میشه و بعد شخصیت اصلی داستان یعنی میلدرد دستش رو رو میکنه. درست مثل طرح داستان جلد چهارم هری پاتر. یعنی در اصل اون مثل اینه. -
Jill Murphy wrote the first Worst Witch story, according to Wikipedia, while age 15 and still in boarding school. Perhaps that's what makes Mildred Hubble so realistic and so identifiable emotionally. While we don't seem to run into too many witches these days, we all know Mildred - if we're not Mildred ourselves. Trying to be invisible while coming up with impractical schemes for miraculous success while failing utterly at both.
In "saves the day" - which is Book #5, Mildred returns to school for her third year. She has an idea to end her hair troubles - which doesn't end well. And although she's practiced flying, she still has difficulty with her timid cat, and taunts from the school social perfectionist Ethel Hallow (we've all encountered her, too, I'm sure) don't help. There's also a rather odd new instructor, Miss Granite, who doesn't seem to care how the students spend their time - and Miss Hardbroom won't stand that for long. But interestingly enough, it's Mildred that's the one that has the most suspicions about Miss Granite.
I think the things I like best about Mildred, aside from the fact that she's far from perfect, is that she's independent and perseveres. She wins a few, and she loses a few, but she keeps going, learning the best she can, and comes through - maybe not the best witch, but she's still going to be a witch. When you're young, and haven't had many defeats - so that each challenge seems like the end - this is a good perspective to have. -
And we are at book 5, only 2 more books to go before I am completely up-to-date with this series! *cheers*
We got a new teacher, Miss Granite seems kind, but at times is also totally mean and unfriendly. And who in their right mind leaves a whole class of students alone???? But we soon find out why!
I loved the hair part. First getting it all off (poor Mildred), only to have to use a growth potion going out of hair um hand. :) Why do these girls still trust Ethel with things? They should know by this time (3 years now) that she is up to no good and won't be nice. Poor Tabby, totally traumatized by the huge and super fast growing hair.
Of course the book ends, like all the others, with Mildred saving the day/academy again.
But I have to say this one was way more fun than the previous one, so yeah for that!
Btw, I loved the cover for this book. :) -
This book was a little longer and more involved than the others, with more challenging vocabulary, so I ended up giving it five stars although on my blog it would be a 4 1/2. As with the other Worst Witch stories this is perfect for a chapter a night book, read by an adult for children younger than the book's intended reading skills level. The perfect series for children too young for Harry Potter, but wanting to read about a magic school.
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This book was interesting. It was about as good as the last two books in the series but there were some inconsistencies between this books and the previous books that bothered me. They weren't that noticeable but they still took away from the story when I noticed them. Overall this book was ok and I'm hoping the next book is better than this one.
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This is the last book I've been able to find, and it resembles the others so much, I still find it adorable, and rather funny, with spells going wrong and all. Seems everything happens to Mildred every time.
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This is one to pre-read for the Possum, mostly. She relies heavily on my suggestions, and it's kind of hard to keep ahead of her.
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I'm unimpressed. It's all a bit thin.
Library copy -
Oh that Agatha.
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I love how Mil got herself tangled in more trouble now involving a new teacher and her improvement as a witch comes in handy for avoiding some disaster.
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On my quest to read all eight of The Worst Witch books, I have managed to finish the fifth book, published thirteen years after the fourth book 'All at Sea'. How did it hold up? In all honesty, I enjoyed it for the most part, despite its problems.
Some of the series' most recognisable elements are here: the illustrations are, as always, detailed and beautiful, distinguishing the settings and the characters. The simplistic writing is present as well, easy to follow and fun to read, even if there are some silly lines, especially when Maud and Enid have to tell each other that "NOT ANT" means an ant. Detectives of the year, am I right!
The best illustrations and writing come in my favourite chapter where Mildred's hair grows frantic and wild after a potion mishap and Tabby nearly dies from falling out of the window. It was fun and exciting, fitting right into what makes the series so great a read, and the illustrations of the hair growing and growing are magnificent to behold.
Unfortunately, what brings everything down in quality is the story. It isn't so much terrible as it is disappointing. With the lack of a clever villain who just disguises herself and waits for her minions to come to her and any true lack of danger thanks mostly to Mildred using her initiative and cleverness as always against the villain's enpititude (not to mention reducing what could have been an exciting battle of sorts into one sentence), I can't help but feel like not only did it feel more suited to a short story than a chapter book, but the concept was better when used for both the 1998 and 2017 television shows.
There were also one or two moments that weakened the characters' personalities for me. Mildred, our hero, is still gullible to Ethel's cunning and doesn't even react immediately when the bully kidnaps Mildred's cat! It made Mildred come across as somewhat passive. Also, the moment you find out that Miss Hardbroom monitors the letters sent to parents makes her seem less like a strict teacher and more like a micromanaging boss. Moments like these didn't handle the characters well and it makes them weak at best and utterly terrible at worst.
Whilst I still enjoyed it for most of its writing and the illustrations that make the series unique, the story made this a huge disappointment in comparison to the previous entries and it was a misstep rather than a fall. Its better moments helped me enjoy it more, so I cannot say it's a bad read whatsoever. -
The Worse Witch Saves the Day
Plot: This term at Miss Cackle’s Academy, it’s the start of a new year and Mildred and her class have a peculiar new teacher Miss Granite. And it’s more than just her looks. One minute she’s so laid back she’s practically asleep on her job of teaching the students. They’re teaching themselves (which isn’t really a bad thing). And the next she’s turned into Miss HB’s clone. If this wasn’t enough Mildred finds herself in yet another tangle (figuratively and literally) when she tries out Maud’s new styling brush, gets her hair caught (I never could use a curling iron myself), and winds up getting her hair chopped out by Ethel. Then trust Ethel to give her a potion to grow it back (uh WHY?). In the end she saves the day of uncovering the mystery around the teacher who isn’t who she seems to be.
My Thoughts: 1. I wouldn’t trust Ethel to HAND me a pair of scissors much less go ANY WHERE near my head. Why did Mildred think this was a good idea? Knowing this girl has done nothing since day 1 (and book 1) but get her in trouble. And if that wasn’t bad enough she trusts her to take a potion? I thought she was gonna drink it. I don’t think I’d ever heard of a potion shampoo? I’m starting not to feel bad for Mildred because it’s like that saying. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on ME! I mean when is Mildred gonna learn when this chick says she’s “help her” RUN! And sleep with one eye open. And then same thing with Miss Cackle. I already knew who Miss Granite was. It kind of hit me mid book. Oh, it’s the twin of Mrs Cackle. But then after that mishap I’d KEEP a supply of truth telling serum for when I had to hire new people. You can not TRUST everybody. Not just because of what they look like. It’s a big FAIL that they didn’t review this lady further. And then I thought they were all turned into snails. Did someone turn them back? And then WHY? Shouldn’t their punishment have been to keep them as snails? Some people you can’t give second chances neither, because they’ll just repeat the same thing they did in the first place over and over again. Why isn’t there a witch prison in this story? This coven should most DEFINITELY be in it.
Rating:6 -
Of course Mildred, the worst witch at Miss Cackle's School for Witches, saves the day. Doesn't she always? But first, and just as naturally, she messes up. Her botched attempt to repair a "bad hair day" results in disaster, and sends her beloved but mental cat Tabby into a nervous breakdown. At least this term, the girls in Form Three will have a break from always having super-strict Miss Hardbroom as their form-mistress. The trouble is, their mysterious new teacher doesn't seem interested in actually teaching.
It doesn't take long for the girls in Form Three to miss a bit of structure and discipline. But that thought has scarcely formed in their minds when Miss Granite suddenly turns mean and threatening, and poor Tabby gets caught in the middle. Luckily, Mildred isn't the kind of girl to take catnapping lying down. (That sentence somehow doesn't sound right.) Unluckily, that's exactly what Miss Granite is counting on, forcing Mildred to stretch her spellcasting skills in order to avert yet another attempted hag takeover of the school.
Mildred and her friends, frenemies and enemies are fun company as always, full of warmth and mischief and magic. Their adventure is typically weird, hilarious and just a bit spooky, including (in this case) a transformation spell that leaves Mildred in a tiny form. Her struggle to communicate her plight with her friends, Enid and Maud, and to stay on task despite the allure of cake crumbs all over the floor, is the type of verbal and visual fun that makes this book, and this whole series, priceless.
This is the fifth of eight "Worst Witch" books by the late Jill Murphy. Next after it is The Worst Witch to the Rescue. After a slow start, I'm zipping through the series thanks to a box set that was apparently printed for sale in the U.K. Since the books are so brief and quick to read – and there are (sadly) no worries that more installments will be added to the series – I'd say the box set is the way to go. -
I unabashedly love this series. Now, I’m reading them as an adult. And I’m reading them after having watched the Netflix show - every episode - during an illness. Were I reading them with children, I’d have some misgivings perhaps, and would certainly want to talk with the children about things like boundaries with bullies (Mildred’s repeated misplaced trust in Ethel), what reliable and trustworthy adults look and sound like (no adult should force you to say things are okay when they aren’t and reliable grown ups are responsible for taking care of kids and keeping them safe), making mistakes isn’t causing trouble, and so on. However, these stories are such fun.
I agree with other reviewers that things like Miss Granite actually being Agatha were obvious and likely would also be obvious to a 7-year-old, but I also think it would be fun to be a 7-year-old who knows what’s going on while no one in the book does. Who has already figured it out.
As others wrote, the hair scenes were delightful and the illustrations for those scenes the best yet.
Most of all, though, I appreciate the escape of these stories. I like that the worst things that happen is hair gets cut and grows back and villains are turned into snails.
For what these books are trying to do, they do it perfectly. -
Otra historia entretenida que se lee en un momento. Para bien debo decir que es como si la autora hubiera hecho caso a mi sugerencia de la reseña anterior (ya sé que es imposible porque este libro se escribió hace años): en esta historia Mildred y sus amigas Enid y Maud sí se comportan mucho más como amigas que confían mutuamente las unas en las otras y se ayudan. Para mal debo decir que, aunque entretenidas por lo cortas que son (y por lo bonitos dibujos), las aventuras de esta serie empiezan a resultarme repetitivas. Al ser anécdotas de la vida de Mildred no tienes la sensación de que haya una historia global que vaya a ninguna parte; ni de que se produzca ninguna evolución en el elenco. Y el entorno, aunque muy chulo, ya no sorprende como al principio porque no se profundiza nada en él. En definitiva, sí, este libro sigue siendo una historia corta para pasar un buen rato, pero leer siempre lo mismo contado de distintas formas empieza a perder su gracia.
