Gertie the witch by Valerie Thomas

Little Rockets series, book 2. New Frontier Publishing, 2012. 95 pages.
(Ages: 7-10) This short chapter book will please early independent readers with its humour and coloured illustrations. Gertie the witch is not a friendly witch by any definition of the word. She enjoys being a witch a little too much and gets her kicks by turning people into ducks and pigs. Needless to say the people of the town are fed up with Gertie's mischief but they are too scared to stand up to her! When she turns the postman and his wife into pigs their two children are horrified and determined to break Gertie's spell, take her spell book and teach her a lesson. When Gertie's sister Susie arrives at Gertie's house after making a silly choice to turn the head witch into a beetle Gertie has a lot to deal with. She can't reverse Susie's spell without her spell book and the children have a special trick of their own planned. This story is quirky, witty and fast-paced. I think most children will enjoy the funny elements of this book. The storyline is kept simple without too much complexity and remains light hearted by bringing the non-threatening and, for the most part, harmless witches into the everyday world as if it were the norm.
Nicole Smith-Forrest