Forgotten Vintage Children's Lit We Want Republished! discussion

What I was going to lead-in with was with a joke about not really knowing your tastes until you're forced to recount them to others (if I opened this with a 30Rock reference, would anyone get the joke? https://www.reddit.com/r/30ROCK/comme... if you're wondering what I'm on about).

Apparently, I have a witch thing. I didn't realise I did until reviewing Late for Hallowe'en, but apparently I read a lot of witch-themed vintage kid's books. I guess it goes with my love of low-fantasy, but still, I'm surprised I've read as much as I have! :)

So I figured it was time to list some recommended out-of-print Witch books that I've enjoyed, in case anyone else is interested in that subgenre (like I said, I didn't realise I was keen on it until I reflected!).

Here's my witchy round-up, with pride of place going to Margaret Storey's Timothy series:

Timothy and Two Witches
The Dragon's Sister and Timothy Travels
The Stone Sorcerer/Stone Wizard
(and later books in the series: https://www.goodreads.com/series/2856... , which I have yet to see for sale, let alone read!)
edit: I realised that I forgot to mention that I read these in reverse order: #3, #2 and now #1. They do not need to be read sequentially. They do reference characters from previous books, which leaves you curious and wanting more, but all the necessary info is required within each book, which can function as a 'standalone'. Right now (12/04/24 at 16:18GMT), books 2 and 3 are for sale on WOB for 3.49 each. I'd pounce on them, if I were you!)

Standalones worth looking into:
The Witch-Child - reminds me of a witchy Matilda somehow! Very cute!
Well Met by Witchlight - very 70s, but I loved it
Late for Hallowe'en - expensive, and not perfect
Miss Quarterberry and the Juniper Tree - 1989! So it's a later one, and features a librarian witch
Earthstar Magic - somewhat underwhelming, especially compared to Storey's books!
The Wickedest Witch in the World - also somewhat disappointing, if I'm honest
Starchild and Witchfire - obscure, and trending into the 'high fantasy' realm rather than general witchiness
The Hounds of the Mórrígan - witches on Harleys. XD But like the above, trending away from general witchiness and more into fantasy... but so awesome, so don't miss it!
Magic From The Ground - herbal magic and folklore heavy
A Summer Witching - surprisingly scary for the target age! Possession by an evil witch's spirit.
Ellie and the Hagwitch - queued - plan on reading soon

I feel like I've missed one somewhere... I'll edit it in if so.

I did not like The Little Witch by Margaret Mahy, surprisingly (that's an un-recommendation). The Witch Rose by Annie Dalton had some good folkloric aspects, but was mostly a family-reunited fantasy, so I can't fully recommend it unless parental reunification is something you're keen on.

Moon Eyes by the great Josephine Poole gets a mention, but . . . it doesn't totally fit with this list, somehow. Poole is one of my favourites, and Moon Eyes has some evil witchiness about it, but it sort of has more of a 'situational horror' feel to it. She's evil, she's probably a witch, and escaping/getting rid of her is the focus. It's good, but, again, it has a different feel than the rest. Worth taking a look at the description and reviews for more context.

Which Witch? by Ibbotson is a classic, nice and darkly funny, in the same vein as The Witches (also not to be missed), which is almost certainly still in-print.

Greenwitch - not witchy! :) But excellent, my favourite series. ;)

I'm sure there are others I've read that have slipped my mind. I just recently tidied the bookshelves to face all my unread books at the front, which seemed like a good idea at the time...

Anyway, I just thought I'd get a subject-specific thread going for Witches, seeing as (apparently) I have a thing about them. :)

Any others worth recommending?

Only one out of print comes to mind: The Witch of Castlekerry. The author usually published as R. E. Jackson.

Two other more very good fairly recent books are Verdigris Deep and The Witch of Clatteringshaws.

The Stone Cage (if being narrated by the wicked witch's cat counts)
Enter Three Witches (but not out-of-print)
The Changeover (in print)
Mooncoin Castle

Thanks Len and Sem! Adding to my to-read shelf now! (I think I had Mooncoin Castle on it, but the others I haven't heard of until now). ;)

EDIT: Oh, THAT 'The Changeover'. :D Okay, I knew of that one, too. :)

A few others that may be of interest.

By Lorna Wood:
The People in the Garden
The Hag Calls for Help
Hags on holiday
Hags by Starlight
Rescue by Broomstick
Hag in the Castle

Patricia Gordon
The Witch of Scrapfaggot Green

Jacynth Hope-Simpson
The Hamish Hamilton Book of Witches

Geoffrey Palmer
Starlight and Spells

Elizabeth Hull Froman
Eba the Absent-Minded Witch

Felice Holman
The Witch on the Corner

There is also a book by Winifred Finlay which doesn't seem to be on GR: The Witch of Redesdale

Thanks, Len! That Holman one is on my 'snipe' list (I'm not a very attentive sniper, it must be said). I don't think I've seen it come up once.

(The Lorna Wood ones I had - she wrote the Seven League Ballet Shoes, which I've been trying to get a hold of, too!)

I think I knew about the Finlay one, and now you've got me wondering how, AND worrying that I saw it on a seller's website only and skipped it like a twit... :S