Amazon.ca
The Worst Witch set contains seven episodes of the popular TV series. Based on the internationally bestselling books of Jill Murphy that are said to have been an inspiration to J.K. Rowling and the
Harry Potter books, the 25-minute episodes chronicle the hilarious adventures of would-be witch Mildred Hubble. Aimed at 5- to 11-year-olds, the set starts with Mildred's first day at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches, a secondary boarding school that emphasizes discipline and traditional values but that also teaches young girls how to ride broomsticks, chant, and cast spells. Mildred gets off to a flying start when arriving late on her broomstick: she crashes into the school bins. The strong storylines focus mainly on whether Mildred will make the grade as a bona fide witch and her continuing rivalry with snooty Ethel Hallow. Whether Mildred is turning Ethel into a pig or being transformed into a frog, pre-teenagers will relate to the heroine, learning from her the importance of determination, imagination, and friends. There are admirable performances from Georgina Sherrington as Mildred, Kate Duchène as the stern Miss Hardbroom, Clare Coulter as the kindly Headmistress, and the renowned Una Stubbs as the eccentric Miss Bat, who spends school holidays in the cupboard. The stories are not scary, and the special effects are used sparingly but with good results. Particularly spectacular is the image at the start of each episode of students arriving for school on broomsticks. Entertaining, amusing, and captivating, pre-teenagers are in for a real treat!
--Tracey Hogan, Amazon.com.uk
From the Back Cover
The Worst Witch Before Harry Potter, author Jill Murphy captivated audiences with her best-selling tales of Mildred Hubble, a hopelessly clumsy young witch-in-training. Murphy's wonderful stories are even rumored to have been the inspiration behind the phenomenal Harry Potter creation.
Enter the gloomy halls of Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches, a school where chemistry class involves magic potions, final exams center on spells and students ride broomsticks instead of bicycles. No matter how hard she tries, poor Mildred just can't seem to cut it: her incantations backfire and she cannot ride her broom without unleashing a calamity. Still, she never gives up trying, so join Mildred and her friENDs for plenty of riotous adventure and magical mayhem.
The Battle of the BroomsticksMildred makes a disastrous entrance on her first day at the Academy: she crashed into the dustbins on her broom right in front of the stern headmistress! That mishap helps Mildred discover her new friENDs - and enemies. It will take some special magic to keep her from being asked to leave before school even starts.
When We Feast at the Midnight HourThe icky school food leads Mildred and her friENDs to complain loudly to Miss Cackle, who democratically volunteers to try the same menu for a week. Mildred concocts a better plan: a sneaky nighttime raid on a secret pantry of treats. Unfortunately, they do not count on a legENDary ghost intruding on their feat!
A Pig in a PokeSnooty Ethel Hallow is unable to resist teasing Mildred about everything, including her cat, a stripped tabby that hardly looks the part of a real "familiar." Pushed too far, Mildred tries out to spell she has been working on and accidentally turns Ethel into a pig! When Ethel runs off, the race is on to set things right before a local farmer can work his own mischief.
A Mean HolloweenHold onto your broomsticks! The Chief Wizard has been invited to attEND the school's Hallowe'en celebration and Mildred is thrilled to have been chosen to lead the traditional first-year flying display. However, Ethel Hallow is still furious that Mildred turned her into a pig earlier on and vows revenge…
Double, Double, Toil and TroubleFrustrated over her failures, Mildred runs away from the Academy in the wee hours of the night. Things change, however, when she overhears some nasty witches in a nearby forest planning to take over the school. As her schoolmates and teachers sleep unaware, Mildred hatches a desperate plan to save the day.
Mondey BusinessA new term begins and Mildred is on probation. Her duty is to keep an eye on a mysterious new pupil, Enid Nightshade. Enid seems harmless enough, but turns out to have more than one tick up her sleeve. It looks like Mildred will get the blame fo rall of Enid's antics!
