00003600

A witch moves in next door to two children, and helps them see magic in the everyday. Sweet but a bit dated. A nice read for October, though. ( )

This is my first Ruth Chew book, and I really liked it. It is certainly for the lower middle grade or chapter book (6-10 yrs) audience. It is short and the language is not exactly simplistic, but very straightforward. The story is fun, very much in the contemporary magic, witch-next-door tradition (there actually is a witch next door). The illustrations are great and, even thought it was written in 1971, I don't think that the target audience will find it old fashioned. I bought a copy for my 7 year old niece, and I'm looking forward to reading more Ruth Chew. I think it's a great idea to reprint them, since there isn't really very much good fantasy for this age group. PS -- this is the one about the magic fudge and not about the things left in the drawer. ( )

This gentle children's fantasy tells the story of the new neighbor, Maggie Brown, who loves animals and whose fudge makes magic happen. ( )