Get Me Out of Witch School!

Em Lynas's Get Me Out of Witch School is a gloriously dramatic magic-school story for 9 year olds about a girl who'd much rather be on stage than learning spells.

What happens

Twinkle Toadspit (Twink to her friends) has just discovered she's a mega witch with a Rainbow Hat of Awesomeness. There's only one problem. She's an actress! Her Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream was the best her old drama teacher has ever seen (she'll tell you so, often).

It carries straight on from the first Toadspit Towers book, so it's worth starting there if you can.

Right now things aren't going well. She's banned from doing magic without supervision. She's lost so many ticks that she only gets gloop for tea. And the deputy head, Ms Thorn, has told her she's IGNORANT.

Then Twink touches a wall and hears a cat meowing inside it. With her friends Jess and Shalini she follows the sound up a secret staircase to a hidden tower room. It's packed with old books, potion bottles, portraits of a girl who looks exactly like her, and a crystal kitten that talks.

Should she pick him up? Absolutely not. Does she? Of course she does! Next thing a snow globe breaks, a blizzard whirls round the room, and the kitten announces that she's doomed the school.

In the middle of all that, a letter arrives. Her old drama group are going on tour, ending at the Theatre Royal. She needs her headmistress to sign a permission slip by tomorrow (or another girl gets her part).

Twink tells the whole thing in the present tense, and she's dramatic about EVERYTHING. Her chapters often open with a "Summary" of her current situation. She's always got Questions and no Answers, and she says "ac-chew-ally" a lot. It really is like watching someone who never quite steps off the stage.

Her friends are great fun too. Jess bounces along like a puppy and Shalini worries about everything (usually with good reason). There's a pair of snooty classmates to glare at, and lots of lovely daft names for things, like the Pocket of Usefulness.

If you've got a reader who loves a big personality and doesn't mind a bit of chaos, they'll have a brilliant time.

What to read next

For another girl whose magic refuses to behave, try Upside-Down Magic. Nory is meant to turn into a black kitten for her big entrance exam and ends up half kitten, half beaver, chewing through her dad's desk.