WITCH-IN-TRAINING

Jessica receives a most unusual 10th birthday present--she learns that she’s a witch. However, she has a lot to learn, including the correct way to ride a broom. Friel takes a classic tale and modernizes it, using terms like “eject” and “fast forward ” to apply to flying a broom. Phyllida Nash is delightful as she mixes old and modern terms with clarity and humor. When Jessica and Miss Stregna, her teacher, encounter a phoenix rising, Miss Stregna proclaims him an “odd old bird.” Each of the four stories, sparkling with details that humanize witches and goblins, is enlivened by Nash’s spirited delivery. Young listeners will enjoy meeting a good witch who also happens to be a young girl. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 05]