What do you think?
Rate this book
Witch Saga #1
Witch's Sister
When the darkness,
tolls the hour,
I shall have you
in my power...
Lynn and her best friend, Mouse, are positive their neighbor, Mrs. Tuggle, is a witch. And they suspect the old woman is forcing Lynn's sister, Judith, to join her coven to witches. But Lynn and Mouse can't prove anything and their parents don't believe them. the girls are desperate to expose Mrs. Tuggle's evil nature, especially since her actions are becoming more threatening everyday.
Now Lynn's parents have announced that they're going away for the weekend, leaving Judith and Mrs. Tuggle in charge. Can the girls outsmart Mrs. Tuggle and save Lynn's family -- or is the dark magic too strong to conquer?
tolls the hour,
I shall have you
in my power...
Lynn and her best friend, Mouse, are positive their neighbor, Mrs. Tuggle, is a witch. And they suspect the old woman is forcing Lynn's sister, Judith, to join her coven to witches. But Lynn and Mouse can't prove anything and their parents don't believe them. the girls are desperate to expose Mrs. Tuggle's evil nature, especially since her actions are becoming more threatening everyday.
Now Lynn's parents have announced that they're going away for the weekend, leaving Judith and Mrs. Tuggle in charge. Can the girls outsmart Mrs. Tuggle and save Lynn's family -- or is the dark magic too strong to conquer?
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
7 people are currently reading
908 people want to read
About the author
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
235books1,014followersPhyllis Reynolds Naylor was born in Anderson, Indiana, US on January 4, 1933.
Her family were strongly religious with conservative, midwestern values and most of her childhood was spent moving a lot due to her father's occupation as a salesman.
Though she grew up during the Depression and her family did not have a lot of money, Naylor stated that she never felt poor because her family owned good books. Her parents enjoyed reading stories to the children--her father would imitate the characters in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer--and her mother read to them every evening, "almost until we were old enough to go out on dates, though we never would have admitted this to anyone."
By the time Phyllis reached fifth grade, writing books was her favorite hobby and she would rush home from school each day to write down whatever plot had been forming in her head - at sixteen her first story was published in a local church magazine.
Phyllis has written over 80 books for children and young people. One of these books, "Shiloh," was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1992, was named a Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association and was also Young Adult Choice by the International Reading Association.
Naylor gets her ideas from things that happen to her or from things she has read. "Shiloh" was inspired by a little abused dog she and her husband found. The little dog haunted her so much that she had to write a story about him to get it out of her mind.
Her family were strongly religious with conservative, midwestern values and most of her childhood was spent moving a lot due to her father's occupation as a salesman.
Though she grew up during the Depression and her family did not have a lot of money, Naylor stated that she never felt poor because her family owned good books. Her parents enjoyed reading stories to the children--her father would imitate the characters in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer--and her mother read to them every evening, "almost until we were old enough to go out on dates, though we never would have admitted this to anyone."
By the time Phyllis reached fifth grade, writing books was her favorite hobby and she would rush home from school each day to write down whatever plot had been forming in her head - at sixteen her first story was published in a local church magazine.
Phyllis has written over 80 books for children and young people. One of these books, "Shiloh," was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1992, was named a Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association and was also Young Adult Choice by the International Reading Association.
Naylor gets her ideas from things that happen to her or from things she has read. "Shiloh" was inspired by a little abused dog she and her husband found. The little dog haunted her so much that she had to write a story about him to get it out of her mind.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
June 13, 2018
Is Lynn's sister Judith a witch? Lynn and her best friend Mouse certainly think so. When I was ten years old, I thought she was. My adult self, older (much) and wiser (or perhaps not), rereading the book, though perhaps Judith was more likely a moody pubsescent 14 year old girl with a new ideas and a new boyfriend, and that Lynn and Mouse's runaway imaginations have gotten the better of them. Naylor makes sure you have both of these ideas in your head at all times, and leaves you at the end with some deliciously shivery scary feelings.
July 13, 2014
I have read the entire Witch Saga series a lot of times and every time I read them I cant seem to put them down. Naylor weaves a spell in every book that even after reading the same book a number of times I keep coming back and each time I find something new or different. Quite witchy, eh?
By the way, the first book I read in this series was The Witch's Eye when I was 11 years old (I am now 27), and at that time, though there were some missing parts in the book (as it was the 4th one in the series), I still kept reading the book and must have read it a dozen times back then. I was not able to find the rest of the parts in bookstores back then in the place where i used to live. Couple of years back, found all the books and read the entire series and was so satisfied. I adore her Witch Saga books. The characters are so well-defined I feel myself actually living amongst them. I quite forgot, when the entire series ended, that these were just fictional characters.
Will keep reading them in the years to come.
By the way, the first book I read in this series was The Witch's Eye when I was 11 years old (I am now 27), and at that time, though there were some missing parts in the book (as it was the 4th one in the series), I still kept reading the book and must have read it a dozen times back then. I was not able to find the rest of the parts in bookstores back then in the place where i used to live. Couple of years back, found all the books and read the entire series and was so satisfied. I adore her Witch Saga books. The characters are so well-defined I feel myself actually living amongst them. I quite forgot, when the entire series ended, that these were just fictional characters.
Will keep reading them in the years to come.
March 30, 2019
Jeg kan se at jeg havde givet den her 2 stjerner da jeg oprettede en GR for omkring 5 år siden, men jeg har ikke læst den bog i snart 10 år, så jeg ved ikke hvad jeg baserede den anmeldelse på haha. Den er jo herlig og overraskede uhyggelig!
October 28, 2008
I have read this series every year around Halloween since I was in late elementary school! (I admit, I was fascinated by witchcraft---but only in reading it--not practicing!!!) ;o)
Read
March 9, 2014Absolutely loved this series when I was a kid!! I remember that I use re-read them all the time.... I'll have to do that again sometime and see why I liked them so much :)
December 31, 2020
This was good but the ending is confusing. I’m curious what happens. It is like a cliff hanger. It says there are five more books in the series so it probably explains then
August 18, 2020
Mit hjerte hoppede en ekstra gang, da jeg opdagede at Høst & Søn har genudgivet en af mine absolut top yndlingsbørnebøger fra firserne😍🥰❤️
Jeg æælskede historien om Lynn og hendes mistanke om at søsteren Judith er ved at blive til en heks. Lynn og veninden Mus får virkelig deres sag for med den weirdo nabo, som Judith tilbringer ekstremt meget tid med - nemlig den sære og mega creepy gamle kone Fru Tuggle😱😱
Jeg mindes historien som noget af det mest uhyggelige og pageturner-agtige jeg kunne få mine 9-10 årige fingre i (er ikke helt sikker på alderen).
Der er hele seks bøger i serien og jeg har i mange år ledt som en gal efter de gode gamle danske udgaver, som ikke har været til at opdrive. Jeg har måttet ty til de engelske bøger, da jeg for flere år siden fik trang til at læse dem igen, men jeg har glædet mig helt ustyrligt til at læse dem på dansk igen.
Og holder det så?
JA DA! Der er dømt total nostalgifest😃🙌🙌
Heksens Søster var fuldstændig som jeg husker det.
Da historien går igang er det allerede ved at gå helt galt. Der er ni uger tilbage af sommerferien. Storesøsteren Judith opfører sig vildt sært, moren er forfatter og har lejet et arbejdsværelse oppe hos fru Tuggle for at få ro og Lynn og Judith har fælles ansvar overfor lillebroren Stevie, de dage moren er gået i arbejds-mode.
Judith har sy timer hos fru Tuggle, men Lynn er overbevist om, at de laver nogle ganske andre ting. Sammen med hendes vidunderligt skæve veninde Mus beslutter de sig for at finde ud af, hvad der foregår.
Phyllis Reynolds Naylors hekse-serie er altså ren kræs for børn med hang til creepy gyserhistorier. Lynn og Mus finder så mange hentydninger til, at Judith er i lære som (ond) heks og næsten hver side gav mig kuldegys som barn😱
Og så er der Lynn og Mus. De er superseje og modige (eller nævenyttige møgunger😆). Jeg kan huske, at jeg så rigtig meget op til de to piger. Hvem der dog bare var lige så modig som de to😃
Når jeg som voksen genlæser Heksens Søster, så er kuldegysene forsvundet, men stemningen er der helt klart stadigvæk.
Som barn var jeg, ligesom Lynn og Mus, fuldstændig overbevist om, at Judith var i lære som heks. Men med kedelige voksenøjne, så kan alting også misforståes.
Derfor er det vildt fedt, når man finder sine indre børnebriller frem og drømmer sig tilbage til dengang, hvor fantasien ikke havde nogen grænser.
Men det virkelig geniale ved Heksens Søster er, at man efter sidste side stadig er i tvivl om det er hekserier.
Nøj, hvor kunne vi børn gejle hinanden op med diverse gyserhistorier. Det var mega awesome!🙌
Heksens Søster er vidunderlig genlæsning og und dit gyserlæsende barn denne pragtfulde oplevelse. Ååh, jeg håber forlaget genudgiver dem alle😍😍👏👏
📖Læseeksemplar lånt fra mit arbejde📖
Jeg æælskede historien om Lynn og hendes mistanke om at søsteren Judith er ved at blive til en heks. Lynn og veninden Mus får virkelig deres sag for med den weirdo nabo, som Judith tilbringer ekstremt meget tid med - nemlig den sære og mega creepy gamle kone Fru Tuggle😱😱
Jeg mindes historien som noget af det mest uhyggelige og pageturner-agtige jeg kunne få mine 9-10 årige fingre i (er ikke helt sikker på alderen).
Der er hele seks bøger i serien og jeg har i mange år ledt som en gal efter de gode gamle danske udgaver, som ikke har været til at opdrive. Jeg har måttet ty til de engelske bøger, da jeg for flere år siden fik trang til at læse dem igen, men jeg har glædet mig helt ustyrligt til at læse dem på dansk igen.
Og holder det så?
JA DA! Der er dømt total nostalgifest😃🙌🙌
Heksens Søster var fuldstændig som jeg husker det.
Da historien går igang er det allerede ved at gå helt galt. Der er ni uger tilbage af sommerferien. Storesøsteren Judith opfører sig vildt sært, moren er forfatter og har lejet et arbejdsværelse oppe hos fru Tuggle for at få ro og Lynn og Judith har fælles ansvar overfor lillebroren Stevie, de dage moren er gået i arbejds-mode.
Judith har sy timer hos fru Tuggle, men Lynn er overbevist om, at de laver nogle ganske andre ting. Sammen med hendes vidunderligt skæve veninde Mus beslutter de sig for at finde ud af, hvad der foregår.
Phyllis Reynolds Naylors hekse-serie er altså ren kræs for børn med hang til creepy gyserhistorier. Lynn og Mus finder så mange hentydninger til, at Judith er i lære som (ond) heks og næsten hver side gav mig kuldegys som barn😱
Og så er der Lynn og Mus. De er superseje og modige (eller nævenyttige møgunger😆). Jeg kan huske, at jeg så rigtig meget op til de to piger. Hvem der dog bare var lige så modig som de to😃
Når jeg som voksen genlæser Heksens Søster, så er kuldegysene forsvundet, men stemningen er der helt klart stadigvæk.
Som barn var jeg, ligesom Lynn og Mus, fuldstændig overbevist om, at Judith var i lære som heks. Men med kedelige voksenøjne, så kan alting også misforståes.
Derfor er det vildt fedt, når man finder sine indre børnebriller frem og drømmer sig tilbage til dengang, hvor fantasien ikke havde nogen grænser.
Men det virkelig geniale ved Heksens Søster er, at man efter sidste side stadig er i tvivl om det er hekserier.
Nøj, hvor kunne vi børn gejle hinanden op med diverse gyserhistorier. Det var mega awesome!🙌
Heksens Søster er vidunderlig genlæsning og und dit gyserlæsende barn denne pragtfulde oplevelse. Ååh, jeg håber forlaget genudgiver dem alle😍😍👏👏
📖Læseeksemplar lånt fra mit arbejde📖
October 5, 2020
Det er vildt at en bog der er 40 år gammel føles så frisk. Den er vild. Den giver ikke ved dørene og giver ingen klare svar, hvilket kun gør den bedre.
October 1, 2017
So this one for my sixth graders..a Halloween themed read that intrigued me from the title and argh frustratingly ends on a cliffhanger that promises a second book but hmm I am not that interested in going further LOL..okay so this is the story of Lynn and Judith, two older sisters to a little brother named Stevie who have a mother who is also a harried excitable author and a father who works a lot also…The two sisters share a room separated by a curtain but that is all they have in common..they are completely different and Lynn has a sneaky suspicion she knows why. Lynn and her best friend Mouse, a scrappy small girl decide Judith's moods and secretiveness is part of something sinister and decide to check into the weird things going on like Judith being able to catch tadpoles by simply calling them; the appearance of a purple candle and a broom in her room; Ms. Tuggle's mysterious grandson and even what she does with old Ms. Tuggle who lives in the creepy house on top of the hill besides work on her sewing…The girls truly become convinced that Judith is a witch in training so Lynn and Mouse get as close as they can by sneaking around and spying with everything coming together on the night of the last full moon of the summer� a night of unpredictable storms when when their parents are out of town and Ms. Tuggle is sent to watch over them.
The book gets suspenseful and the witch coincidences which I guess are enough to make you keep reading but with nothing being truly resolved you are almost forced to the next book... but shhh our library doesn’t have book two so I will just talk about the build-up of suspense and witch habits and superstitions maybe they will go to the public library if they want to go further with these girls LOL....Anyway cackling witches in all black with huge hats have always a favorite Halloween costume for me and I wanted more from this book but for about 160 pages I guess it ended to make you want more and give you just enough..hmm for me but…lets see how the 6th graders like it�:)
The book gets suspenseful and the witch coincidences which I guess are enough to make you keep reading but with nothing being truly resolved you are almost forced to the next book... but shhh our library doesn’t have book two so I will just talk about the build-up of suspense and witch habits and superstitions maybe they will go to the public library if they want to go further with these girls LOL....Anyway cackling witches in all black with huge hats have always a favorite Halloween costume for me and I wanted more from this book but for about 160 pages I guess it ended to make you want more and give you just enough..hmm for me but…lets see how the 6th graders like it�:)
August 18, 2019
Upon rereading, I don't think Witch's Sister is the strongest book in the Witch Saga. It tends to be a bit heavier on exposition, since the story begins at a point where Judith is already(maybe) a witch and so the background has to be explained. But it is still a good foundation for the rest of the series, and sets the tone for them perfectly, though the later books get progressively darker.
But this first book is clever and creepy, and doesn't talk down to its readers. And it's not the gimmicky sort of creepiness where monsters pop out of closets every few chapters; it's a claustrophobic, primal eerieness from the characters being so near to an enemy who seems more and more inescapable with each book. For a middle-grade series, it is very dark, but also carefully written and with well-defined characters. Witch's Sister has held up well to re-reading once again, and I can't wait to get to the next book!
But this first book is clever and creepy, and doesn't talk down to its readers. And it's not the gimmicky sort of creepiness where monsters pop out of closets every few chapters; it's a claustrophobic, primal eerieness from the characters being so near to an enemy who seems more and more inescapable with each book. For a middle-grade series, it is very dark, but also carefully written and with well-defined characters. Witch's Sister has held up well to re-reading once again, and I can't wait to get to the next book!
Read
December 14, 2023December 2023 edit: for whatever reason (a love of all-time best character, the jam-obsessed sister? Who knows) I've re-read the first book, and had to remove some mistakes from this series review. If there are any mistakes left they are the work of an evil witch.
...
Alright, so, this is a review (or rather some rambling thoughts) of the entire series. This, Witch's Sister, is of course the first book and there are five more.
So, if you are very concerned about spoilers for a handful of mediocre children's books that started in the mid 70s, avert your gaze.
Now, while I'll stand by my rating of 'mediocre', I do think the first one is pretty good � I loved it as a kid, but it's obviously not at all scary now, and probably not worth seeking out.
It works because it's about kids (11-ish) who are faced with something dangerous (a witch, of course) and while that is scary in itself, part of the horror is how they cannot rely on adults for help, and the disbelief they meet. That lack of power and helplessness in the face of problems kind of work whether it's a witch, or any other problem.
The first one is also the most vague one, in a good way. The main character Lynn and her best friend Mouse realize that Lynn's sister, Judith, is falling prey to Mrs. Tuggle, the evil witch who lives at the top of the hill � the witch wants someone for her coven, and beyond that she has her eye on Stevie, their younger brother. This is one of my favourite bits, since the author did a bit of research and included an excellent (and well known) witch tradition � that in order to make a flying potion (or in this book “to grease her broomstick�, which sounds like an excellent euphemism) you need the fat of an unbaptised child. That's pretty grizzly, and fun � well, not for the kid, but you know. Or at least that's Lynn's assumption, though she does note the technically that Stevie is christened, but not baptised.
Cue spooky stuff when, oh no!, the parents are going out, and guess who they've asked to baby sit? The nice old lady who lives at the top of the hill.
The books after that become quite same-y, and repetitive. The witch, or her evil influence, refuses to go away and everyone in Lynn's immediate life is targeted for nefarious reasons.
In the last book, the witch returns in the guise of her identical sister, whose name is an anagram of the witch's name. She has an evil rabbit for a familiar. She is defeated by the power of love. It's not great.
But, of course, it's a children's book, so an iron spike through the heart might have been excessive. Still, she literally turns into a sweet little kitten, apparently the manifestation of love?
The endings are generally the weakest part of the books � a sudden climax in the last five pages or so. Though, I do like the one (Witch Weed) where Lynn almost sets fire to the town because there are some evil plants growing in the neighbourhood. Yes, by the sixth book we're down to evil plants. Because a previous book features the witch's evil glass eye as the antagonist, and after that was thrown into the river, well � you all know how evil witch weeds are formed, I'm sure (it's when an evil eye is thrown into a river, if that wasn't clear).
The way to read all this now is to assume that Lynn and Mouse are in fact making things up, and that the adults are right to be sceptical (something the book/series briefly toys with). What if Mrs. Tugggle is just an old lady who looks a bit witchy? That makes the dramatic bit when Lynn fight the witch's familiar, a cat, amazing � then it's just a small girl wrestling a cat, trying to drown it. Most relateable main character I've yet encountered? Possibly.
A running thread about Mouse's mother is never fully explored � she has left her father, and moved away. There's a bit of an attempt at realism here that doesn't quite work, but I get the attempt to juxtapose the supernatural horror with the very real horror an 11-year-old might meet. There are lots of small ideas that aren't fully explored, but which are quite good.
Lynn's sister is amazing. She loves making jam. Just a fiend for preserves. A major incident in a book is when a bunch of her jars of jam fall off a shelf and are ruined. But no worries, Judith gets back on the jam horse.
She also likes boys, specifically Ken Phillips. Though, they sadly break up in the last book (which is actually a decent moment for Judith).
So, just your typical girl � loves jam and boys. I think that's a line from a Tom Petty B-side?
My overall favourite thing � other than the possibility that Mrs. Tuggle wants to drain Stevie's fat for a flying potion � is a running idea of Lynn's, across several books, that maybe the reason Mouse's mother left is that she disliked the father's large moustache. It just drove her away to Ohio. Amazing - especially when you remember that this series started in the 70s. Clearly some moustache trauma from Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Of course, that's actually a lie � the very best thing is if you have the Bantam illustrated edition of The Witch Return, and can turn to page 27 and see the illustration of Mrs. Tuggle's new familiar, the unusually large rabbit. It just looks so puzzled and grumpy, like an elderly rabbit who's just over all this bullshit.
Anyway, if you've read this far, I question your life choices. I'm here because these days are an endless Zoom conference horror show, so I needed something comfortable, like witches and their plans to grease broomsticks.
I guess I'd rate this series 2 out of 5 demons, with an extra demon for the first book.
...
Alright, so, this is a review (or rather some rambling thoughts) of the entire series. This, Witch's Sister, is of course the first book and there are five more.
So, if you are very concerned about spoilers for a handful of mediocre children's books that started in the mid 70s, avert your gaze.
Now, while I'll stand by my rating of 'mediocre', I do think the first one is pretty good � I loved it as a kid, but it's obviously not at all scary now, and probably not worth seeking out.
It works because it's about kids (11-ish) who are faced with something dangerous (a witch, of course) and while that is scary in itself, part of the horror is how they cannot rely on adults for help, and the disbelief they meet. That lack of power and helplessness in the face of problems kind of work whether it's a witch, or any other problem.
The first one is also the most vague one, in a good way. The main character Lynn and her best friend Mouse realize that Lynn's sister, Judith, is falling prey to Mrs. Tuggle, the evil witch who lives at the top of the hill � the witch wants someone for her coven, and beyond that she has her eye on Stevie, their younger brother. This is one of my favourite bits, since the author did a bit of research and included an excellent (and well known) witch tradition � that in order to make a flying potion (or in this book “to grease her broomstick�, which sounds like an excellent euphemism) you need the fat of an unbaptised child. That's pretty grizzly, and fun � well, not for the kid, but you know. Or at least that's Lynn's assumption, though she does note the technically that Stevie is christened, but not baptised.
Cue spooky stuff when, oh no!, the parents are going out, and guess who they've asked to baby sit? The nice old lady who lives at the top of the hill.
The books after that become quite same-y, and repetitive. The witch, or her evil influence, refuses to go away and everyone in Lynn's immediate life is targeted for nefarious reasons.
In the last book, the witch returns in the guise of her identical sister, whose name is an anagram of the witch's name. She has an evil rabbit for a familiar. She is defeated by the power of love. It's not great.
But, of course, it's a children's book, so an iron spike through the heart might have been excessive. Still, she literally turns into a sweet little kitten, apparently the manifestation of love?
The endings are generally the weakest part of the books � a sudden climax in the last five pages or so. Though, I do like the one (Witch Weed) where Lynn almost sets fire to the town because there are some evil plants growing in the neighbourhood. Yes, by the sixth book we're down to evil plants. Because a previous book features the witch's evil glass eye as the antagonist, and after that was thrown into the river, well � you all know how evil witch weeds are formed, I'm sure (it's when an evil eye is thrown into a river, if that wasn't clear).
The way to read all this now is to assume that Lynn and Mouse are in fact making things up, and that the adults are right to be sceptical (something the book/series briefly toys with). What if Mrs. Tugggle is just an old lady who looks a bit witchy? That makes the dramatic bit when Lynn fight the witch's familiar, a cat, amazing � then it's just a small girl wrestling a cat, trying to drown it. Most relateable main character I've yet encountered? Possibly.
A running thread about Mouse's mother is never fully explored � she has left her father, and moved away. There's a bit of an attempt at realism here that doesn't quite work, but I get the attempt to juxtapose the supernatural horror with the very real horror an 11-year-old might meet. There are lots of small ideas that aren't fully explored, but which are quite good.
Lynn's sister is amazing. She loves making jam. Just a fiend for preserves. A major incident in a book is when a bunch of her jars of jam fall off a shelf and are ruined. But no worries, Judith gets back on the jam horse.
She also likes boys, specifically Ken Phillips. Though, they sadly break up in the last book (which is actually a decent moment for Judith).
So, just your typical girl � loves jam and boys. I think that's a line from a Tom Petty B-side?
My overall favourite thing � other than the possibility that Mrs. Tuggle wants to drain Stevie's fat for a flying potion � is a running idea of Lynn's, across several books, that maybe the reason Mouse's mother left is that she disliked the father's large moustache. It just drove her away to Ohio. Amazing - especially when you remember that this series started in the 70s. Clearly some moustache trauma from Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Of course, that's actually a lie � the very best thing is if you have the Bantam illustrated edition of The Witch Return, and can turn to page 27 and see the illustration of Mrs. Tuggle's new familiar, the unusually large rabbit. It just looks so puzzled and grumpy, like an elderly rabbit who's just over all this bullshit.
Anyway, if you've read this far, I question your life choices. I'm here because these days are an endless Zoom conference horror show, so I needed something comfortable, like witches and their plans to grease broomsticks.
I guess I'd rate this series 2 out of 5 demons, with an extra demon for the first book.
January 18, 2021
Read this 20 ish years ago and is surprised how well it aged. Really sad I can't find the audio books of the rest of the series.
September 9, 2018
I picked this up at a library sale. My cover is much better. I thought I remembered reading this, but wasn’t sure. About a quarter of the way through I started very vividly remembering images and turns of phrase from it. In restrosoect, this book and others like it were massively influential on me: old houses with bay windows and window seats that are comfortably threadbare and possibly haunted, hanging out in cemeteries and at creeks, seeking secrets in rare books. Classic.
February 22, 2010
Ever since Lynn's sister Judith started spending time with their elderly neighbor Mrs. Tuggle, supposedly learning seamstressing, she has been acting strange and distant. It's not until Lynn comes across her luring tadpoles to her by singing to them that she begins to suspect that Judith might be a witch's apprentice, and Mrs. Tuggle a witch. Is Judith really involved in dark doings, or is Lynn simply reacting to her sister growing up and changing?
This reminded me quite a bit of Zilpha Keatley Snyder's novels, although not quite so skillfully written. I like that the supernatural angle remains fairly ambiguous throughout, with almost everything having a logical explanation. The end is rather rushed, however, and to have so many questions left unanswered is rather frustrating. I plan on reading the sequels, though.
This reminded me quite a bit of Zilpha Keatley Snyder's novels, although not quite so skillfully written. I like that the supernatural angle remains fairly ambiguous throughout, with almost everything having a logical explanation. The end is rather rushed, however, and to have so many questions left unanswered is rather frustrating. I plan on reading the sequels, though.
February 25, 2011
I know this book was written for young adults, but I was creeped out at times while reading it. It probably didn't help that I was reading it late at night after everyone else had gone to bed and that I'm a wimp when it comes to scary stories.
I kept expecting there to be an explanation for what Lynn was perceiving in her sister's actions, but one never came. It just left you hanging about whether Lynn's speculations that her sister was a witch were true or not. I know there are sequels to this one, so maybe it will all come out in the end about what was really going on (either witchcraft or coincidences that appeared as witchcraft), but I may not find out because I may not read the sequels. Who knows? I may have a desire to pick them up at a later time--it was a quick read.
I kept expecting there to be an explanation for what Lynn was perceiving in her sister's actions, but one never came. It just left you hanging about whether Lynn's speculations that her sister was a witch were true or not. I know there are sequels to this one, so maybe it will all come out in the end about what was really going on (either witchcraft or coincidences that appeared as witchcraft), but I may not find out because I may not read the sequels. Who knows? I may have a desire to pick them up at a later time--it was a quick read.
August 24, 2018
Look, at some point, everybody with a sister has thought that girl was a witch...or was possessed...or could conjure prom dates out of the creek.
Everybody.
But Lynn and her hobo-chic Peppermint Patty bestie, Mouse, are convinced that Lynn’s sister Judith is a WIT (witch in training) and is being groomed my head witch and all around sinister old broad Mrs. Tuggle to both sew AND conjure.
And they may just be right!
But of course, this is a first in series, and that development is left for later on to surmise.
Loved this series as a kid; revisiting before handing off to my most nervous child; will now scrounge up the tv show of this one so I can fully relive my youth.
Everybody.
But Lynn and her hobo-chic Peppermint Patty bestie, Mouse, are convinced that Lynn’s sister Judith is a WIT (witch in training) and is being groomed my head witch and all around sinister old broad Mrs. Tuggle to both sew AND conjure.
And they may just be right!
But of course, this is a first in series, and that development is left for later on to surmise.
Loved this series as a kid; revisiting before handing off to my most nervous child; will now scrounge up the tv show of this one so I can fully relive my youth.
January 4, 2015
I read this book the first time when i was about 11 I think.
I loved it.
I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to read something interesting and exciting. You can read as a child, teenager or adult and still find it good.
Witch's sister is so hard NOT to read, once you've started reading it.
SOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOD
I have re-read this series way to many times.
I loved it.
I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to read something interesting and exciting. You can read as a child, teenager or adult and still find it good.
Witch's sister is so hard NOT to read, once you've started reading it.
SOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOD
I have re-read this series way to many times.
April 4, 2009
LOVED THIS SERIES! READ IT ABOUT ONCE A YEAR!
Read
June 9, 2012Denne serie skræmte nær livet af mig, da jeg var 11 - 12 år gammel. Jeg læste dem flere gange. Overvejer lidt at genlæse dem, men er bange for at spolere mindet..
Read
July 29, 2020These are fun! And I'm glad I decided to re-read them.
I devoured this whole Witch saga when I was a kid, a couple years before I graduated to reading the likes of Christopher Pike, R.L. Stine, Caroline Cooney, etc (and from there it was a slippery slope to VC Andrews and Ann Rice...with a bit of Stephen King mixed in for that decidedly macabre male perspective).
And I can probably trace my lifelong fascination for anything and everything Witchy to this series. Well, this series and . I love "Gateway" books, don't you? Ha ha! You think Harry Potter did corrupt me? Oh honey, wait...
In this first one, we meet Lynn, a super imaginative tween with nothing better to do than spy on her quirky, reclusive old neighbor, Mrs. Tuggle. Lynn obviously watches waaaaay too much Scooby Doo, because after some 'detective work,' she begins to suspect the poor old lady is a witch. And not the actual sort of witch who collects crystals, coordinates her life to the moon phases, and is into the whole Girl Power Goddess thing. No... we're talking the "Come Little Children/I'll Get You My Pretty" sort of witch of popular, if misguided, mythology. The sinister sort who deals in black magic like a gambler deals in poker chips. Granted Mrs. T isn't the friendliest sort, but really, Lynn? Really?? Someone get this poor bored child a paper route or sign her up for some summer classes. Perhaps some creative writing where she can put her imagination to use. Kiddo really has waaaaaaay too much free time on her hands!
All this wouldn't be so bad if Mrs. T kept her witchy workings to herself, but now she's involved Lynn's older sister, Judith, whom she hired to help with odds and ends around her house. Worse, Lynn's parents are going out of town and put Judith in charge. Also, where did that mysterious boy come from? He's certainly not Mrs. T's relative as everyone claims he is, but rather a demon conjured up from the depths of the nether-world. There's evil afoot, Lynn is sure of it, and she (and her friend Mouse) are the only ones who can put a stop to it.
I loved how there was so much back and fourth in this book. Is she or isn't she? I can't wait to re-read the rest of the series.
I devoured this whole Witch saga when I was a kid, a couple years before I graduated to reading the likes of Christopher Pike, R.L. Stine, Caroline Cooney, etc (and from there it was a slippery slope to VC Andrews and Ann Rice...with a bit of Stephen King mixed in for that decidedly macabre male perspective).
And I can probably trace my lifelong fascination for anything and everything Witchy to this series. Well, this series and . I love "Gateway" books, don't you? Ha ha! You think Harry Potter did corrupt me? Oh honey, wait...
In this first one, we meet Lynn, a super imaginative tween with nothing better to do than spy on her quirky, reclusive old neighbor, Mrs. Tuggle. Lynn obviously watches waaaaay too much Scooby Doo, because after some 'detective work,' she begins to suspect the poor old lady is a witch. And not the actual sort of witch who collects crystals, coordinates her life to the moon phases, and is into the whole Girl Power Goddess thing. No... we're talking the "Come Little Children/I'll Get You My Pretty" sort of witch of popular, if misguided, mythology. The sinister sort who deals in black magic like a gambler deals in poker chips. Granted Mrs. T isn't the friendliest sort, but really, Lynn? Really?? Someone get this poor bored child a paper route or sign her up for some summer classes. Perhaps some creative writing where she can put her imagination to use. Kiddo really has waaaaaaay too much free time on her hands!
All this wouldn't be so bad if Mrs. T kept her witchy workings to herself, but now she's involved Lynn's older sister, Judith, whom she hired to help with odds and ends around her house. Worse, Lynn's parents are going out of town and put Judith in charge. Also, where did that mysterious boy come from? He's certainly not Mrs. T's relative as everyone claims he is, but rather a demon conjured up from the depths of the nether-world. There's evil afoot, Lynn is sure of it, and she (and her friend Mouse) are the only ones who can put a stop to it.
I loved how there was so much back and fourth in this book. Is she or isn't she? I can't wait to re-read the rest of the series.
November 28, 2021
A favourite that I read and re-read as a kid; my 10-year-old self would have given it 5+ stars. I stumbled across a copy again several years ago and held on to it.
Lynn suspects that her sister Judith is becoming a witch, under the tutelage (and spell) of Mrs Tuggle, the spooky old woman who lives in the house at the top of their hill. Lynn enlists her best friend Mouse to spy on Judith and read up on the habits of witches.
The narrative in this first book could have gone either way: Judith could be becoming a witch and Mrs Tuggle could be starting a coven, or Judith is merely becoming a teenager and Mrs Tuggle is spooky but innocent. Subsequent books conclude that Lynn is right about the witchcraft, but I always liked this first book the best because the author leaves the questions unresolved.
The book is dated and hard to find these days, so I would struggle to recommend it to anyone. But I read it every few years at Halloween.
Lynn suspects that her sister Judith is becoming a witch, under the tutelage (and spell) of Mrs Tuggle, the spooky old woman who lives in the house at the top of their hill. Lynn enlists her best friend Mouse to spy on Judith and read up on the habits of witches.
The narrative in this first book could have gone either way: Judith could be becoming a witch and Mrs Tuggle could be starting a coven, or Judith is merely becoming a teenager and Mrs Tuggle is spooky but innocent. Subsequent books conclude that Lynn is right about the witchcraft, but I always liked this first book the best because the author leaves the questions unresolved.
The book is dated and hard to find these days, so I would struggle to recommend it to anyone. But I read it every few years at Halloween.
October 29, 2020
I wish I’d known about this book when I was younger. This is probably one of the creepier kids books I’ve read and I feel like it would have made a big impression on me as a kid. As an adult, it was still really good.
The story was solid and the characters were interesting. Lynn is so sure of her suspicions and there are so many coincidences throughout that I couldn’t help but wonder if they were real or just a part of her imagination. This isn’t answered at the end, either—it seems up to the reader to decide if there are actually sinister things happening or not.
Mouse was my favorite character though Lynn was a great MC. I could relate to the mother and her writing as a writer myself. I’ll definitely be reading the rest of the series at some point. This would be an excellent book for mature kids interested in witches.
The story was solid and the characters were interesting. Lynn is so sure of her suspicions and there are so many coincidences throughout that I couldn’t help but wonder if they were real or just a part of her imagination. This isn’t answered at the end, either—it seems up to the reader to decide if there are actually sinister things happening or not.
Mouse was my favorite character though Lynn was a great MC. I could relate to the mother and her writing as a writer myself. I’ll definitely be reading the rest of the series at some point. This would be an excellent book for mature kids interested in witches.
December 6, 2017
So this month in our book club is Re-read Month. You go back and re-read your favorite books. "Witch's Sister" was a book I read when I was in elementary school. I really enjoyed it and it got me into the genre of supernatural stories. What I didn't know was that it is a seven book series! What! Yes. So I have purchased all of them and will read them for the month of December.
This book is about Lynn who suspects her sister is a witch. She sees omens and strange things going on that either no one else sees, or they refuse to see. But Lynn and her friend, Mouse, are convinced that Judith, her older sister, is under the spell of Mrs. Tuggle, the sweet old lady down the street.
If you enjoy books about the supernatural and a quick read...this book is for you!
This book is about Lynn who suspects her sister is a witch. She sees omens and strange things going on that either no one else sees, or they refuse to see. But Lynn and her friend, Mouse, are convinced that Judith, her older sister, is under the spell of Mrs. Tuggle, the sweet old lady down the street.
If you enjoy books about the supernatural and a quick read...this book is for you!
February 3, 2020
Selve idéen til historien er rigtig godt. Jeg måtte bruge nogle kapitler før jeg rigtig forstod hvad det hele gik ud på og der var flere gange gennem bogen, hvor jeg måtte genlæse sætninger og afsnit. Jeg kunne godt tænke at der var brugt lidt flere ord - jeg tror man ville få mest ud af bogen anden gang man læser den.
Til gengæld har jeg også ros til bogen. Det den virkelig kan, er at ramme både voksne og børn. Forskellen er hvad man læser ind i bogen. Jeg tror et barn vil kunne læse meget mere hekseri ind i historien hvor voksne, fordi meget handler heksesøsteren, nok kunne se lidt mere ung pige i handlingen - og jeg kan godt lide slutningen.
Jeg har stadig mange spørgsmål og ikke på en rar måde. Igen jeg kunne godt bruge lidt flere ord og beskrivelse/forklaring.
Til gengæld har jeg også ros til bogen. Det den virkelig kan, er at ramme både voksne og børn. Forskellen er hvad man læser ind i bogen. Jeg tror et barn vil kunne læse meget mere hekseri ind i historien hvor voksne, fordi meget handler heksesøsteren, nok kunne se lidt mere ung pige i handlingen - og jeg kan godt lide slutningen.
Jeg har stadig mange spørgsmål og ikke på en rar måde. Igen jeg kunne godt bruge lidt flere ord og beskrivelse/forklaring.
February 11, 2023
I LOVED this series growing up and would read it again and again so when I saw this one at the bookstore I had to grab it. Disappointingly, this is a different copy than the ones I read. No illustrations. The copy I read had the spookiest illustrations! Oh, how my imagination soared reading this book! It was so creepy and I imagined old ladies in my neighborhood as witches too lol. This book was pure nostalgia at its finest.
March 5, 2021
Somehow I never read this as a kid despite being a huge fan of Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. I picked this up for my ten year old niece and decided to read through it before I gave it to her. It's clearly a children's book, but not painful to read as an adult. I think the cliffhanger at the end will be great for encouraging young readers to continue on with the series.
May 19, 2017
Clearly I'm no longer the target audience of this series, so the writing style is not my thing. However, the plot and the suspense have me turning pages dying to know what happens next! While I can't quite connect with our main character, I'm sure a middle schooler would have no problem doing so. I'm really glad I got around to reading these.
October 1, 2020
I think maybe I would have liked this book as a kid. Not as gruesome as Fear Street books or other scary stuff I had read though. As an adult, it was okay. (This review is more a personal note rather than a reference for others) I did enjoy the authors writing style.
June 23, 2022
I think this is the Phyllis Naylor book where the kids are aware of danger and the adults don't see it. In this time of climate crisis, where the kids see danger that the adults are oblivious of, it seems even a more compelling situation.
November 19, 2023
Lynn and her best friend Mouse have an ordinary life until Mouse reads a book on witchcraft. The girls, then, begin noticing strange behavior between Judith and old, spooky Mrs. Tuggle...Behavior involving witchcraft.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.