Magnificent Mabel and the Very Important Witch

Ruth Quayle's Magnificent Mabel and the Very Important Witch is a funny and surprisingly touching set of three stories for 5 year olds, starting with the worst Halloween ever.

What happens

It's the fifth Magnificent Mabel book. Mabel has been counting down to Halloween all year. Her werewolf costume is ready (it's from the dressing-up box, but she doesn't tell Sophie Simpson that) and so is her orange Trick or Treat pot.

Then Mum breaks the news. Great-Aunt Bridget has fallen out of bed at her care home and broken her arm. So instead of Trick or Treating, they're going to cheer her up. Mabel informs everyone that Great-Aunt Bridget isn't even in her top ten favourite people.

What happens next is magic, maybe literally. Great-Aunt Bridget has a VERY witchy laugh and a wheelchair that goes much faster than any broomstick. It's a lovely story about an old lady with a twinkle in her eye, and a very cross little werewolf changing her mind.

The second story is about the school Worry Box and a lonely younger boy called George. Mabel ends up being kind in her own completely Mabel way (homesick aliens and a crocodile called Mrs Moody are involved).

The third is about the monster under her bed, and the chocolate biscuits she posts down the side of her mattress every night to keep it full. What could possibly go wrong?

Mabel is as honest as ever about how she feels. She glares. She stomps. She accidentally knocks over a chair (because accidents happen when Halloween is cancelled). But she always comes round in the end, and the grown-ups around her are patient and kind.

If your reader has ever had to miss out on something fun for a family visit, they'll know exactly how Mabel feels at the start of this one.

What to read next

To meet her from the very beginning, go back to Magnificent Mabel and the Rabbit Riot. Meg is given a rabbit called Henry on her birthday, and pet-mad Mabel is left at home with him.