This book is sheer perfection. It has many of the same qualities as Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner -- young children who live out tremendous adventures in their imagination with characters who are typically treated by the author as though they are also real, though every once in a while perspective shifts and you see the drawings of Old Witch, Little Witch Girl, Lurie (the little mermaid), Weeny Witchy, Malechai (The Spelling Bee -- yes, he is an enchanted bee who spells everything he says) and the others, the same way the illustrations occasionally show you the animals in Winnie the Pooh as stuffed animals. Another similarity is in the witty sophistication of the language. Christoper Robin is 3-5 in the Pooh books while Amy and Clarissa are 6 in this book, and in both cases there's no way a child of the protagonist's age would actually be able to read the book to him or herself. A parent reading to their child, however, will love every single word, understand an additional six dozen ways the book is delightfully funny, and be thrilled at how much their child is learning and how much more curious and engaged he or she is becoming both with books and with his or her own imagination. I remember reading the book to myself over and over when I was a couple of years older and able to read it on my own -- I hadn't outgrown Amy and Clarissa at all. That said, however, Estes is absolutely genius at capturing the little nuances of how young girls (perhaps young children in general, but I can only speak with authority on girls) interact when they play -- how they introduce new concepts for games and stories to each other and adapt to each other's additions to their shared world. I think many children will find solace and a sense of belonging in this book because they might identify more with Amy (who is a strong leader, often taking the initiative in crafting the narrative and suggesting adventure) or Clarissa (who is less consistently creative, but clearly glad to have a friend like Amy who brings so much excitement to her life, and who is always able to go along on the journey because she has as much imagination and wonder when given a chance.) The book presents them both as okay, which could mean a lot to both extroverted, brave, imaginative children and introverted, gentler children who are less often appreciated and praised for their gifts.An important note: this book is NOT scary. If you have a child who is afraid of witches, this book would be great for helping him or her cope with that fear. If you have a child who WANTS scary books... look elsewhere.It would also be remiss not to praise illustrator Edward Ardizzone, who is perhaps the only other member in a class with Ernest Shepard. His artwork is similarly sweet and deceptively simple -- there's nothing flashy about it, but for me it's saying a lot to contend that the illustrations are instrumental to the story. So much of the time I would rather imagine locations and even characters my own way than have them turned into something concrete and specific that might (from my perspective) be WRONG (I'm looking at you, Mary GrandPré). But Ardizzone has depicted the world in a manner even more lovely than I could have imagined it, and I would hang framed prints of some of his panels in my writing room if such things were sold. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough -- it comes from such a place of beauty and love and imagination, and it is also a nearly-flawless piece of writing with unique turns of phrase, subtle humor, and perfect structure and pace. Even as an adult, I would rather re-read this book than read 99.9% of books that are intended for grown-ups.
The Witch Family was one of my best-loved books from the elementary school library; I checked it out at least 2-3 times a year, I think. I picked up my own copy a few years ago, just to see if it was as good as I remembered.Amy and Clarissa, two seven year old girls with lively imaginations, banquish (their combo of "banish" & "vanquish") the Old Witch to a glass mountain, forbidding her to come down or perform any bad magic. If she behaves, she can come back down for Halloween. Malachi, a bumblebee, is inadvertently included in the banquishment and becomes a magical spelling bee thanks to a few spells. He acts as a messenger, keeping the girls informed of the Old Witch's behaviour, and providing her with warnings when she gets a little feisty.Feeling a bit sorry for the Old Witch (or perhaps wanting someone with whom they could identify), they set up a situation where Little Witch comes to the glass hill. She is about the same age as the girls, and goes to witch school. The story alternates between the doings of the Witch Family (eventually, a Baby Witch comes to live with them as well) and Amy & Clarissa.The story was still enjoyable to read as an adult, with some of the little touches (such as Malachi) becoming clearer. Pen and ink illustrations are scattered through my copy (and I think through the library hardback as well) and add to the deliciously spooky atmosphere. Originally published in 1960, the story has aged very little; it's not nearly as dated as the Ramona series, perhaps because most of the action takes place in the witches' world.Recommended to fans of imaginative children's literature.
What do You think about The Witch Family (2000)?
This is a charming, clever kid's story! I don't know how it is that I never read this as a child, but I'm glad to have read it now, and just in time for "Halloweeny" as it's called in the book.Amy is a brave little girl who, along with her best friend Clarissa, "banquishes" Mean Old Wicked Witch to a glass hill to keep her out of trouble. But when that becomes too boring, Amy and Clarissa write all kinds of adventures for Old Witch, including adding Little Witch girl Hannah, and Weeny Witch Baby BeeBee to the family. Everyone is watched over by Amy's "representatiff" Malachi the spelling bee.The story is a delight and would be the perfect book for reading to any young girls.
—Kristen
I have remembered this book for years in bits and pieces and have never been able to remember what it was called. Finally, through goodreads, I was able to find out the title and I ordered the book from Amazon!I loved loved loved this book as a child, and skimming through it again, I think it would have been a great one for my daughter when she was younger. I wish I had found it sooner, but I highly recommend it as a read aloud, or read alone for stronger readers. I would guess would be of most interest to kids through 2nd grade.
—Lisa
This book kept cropping up on my Audiobooks page and I had never read it so I thought I'd give it a try. I think I would have enjoyed it as a youngster, especially if read aloud. The book was so repetative and I nearly gave up on it, yet this is exactly the type of book a child would delight in. I didn't care for the narrator/reader who took the old witch's voice to new levels of irritation. The bumblebee's monotonous spelling of everything he said was clever but felt overdone after the 20th time he was trying to express himself. Again, this is probably a delightful read-a-loud book for children and probably deserves a far better rating than I gave it. I may try it again when I have grandchildren to entertain.
—Jan
