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12 magical books for Harry Potter fans

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Best fictional schools in kid’s literature

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Features

‘She was a born storyteller’: Why we love Jill Murphy

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12 books packed with girl power

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10 audiobooks for a listen-aloud adventure

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Where to start with The Worst Witch books

The Worst Witch and The Wishing Star

Jill Murphy is one of the most engaging writers and illustrators for children in the land

Jill Murphy (1949-2021) was born in London and grew up in Surrey. From a very early age she was drawing and writing stories, and was already putting books together (literally, with a stapler) by the time she was six. She went on to study at Chelsea, Croydon and Camberwell Schools of Art. Jill worked in a children's home for four years and as a nanny for a year, before becoming a freelance writer and illustrator. She wrote and iillustrated over 20 picture books, including the award-winning Large family of elephants, and 10 novels, including the highly successful Worst Witch series which have been also been adapted for television and stage. Jill passed away in Cornwall in August 2021, aged 72.

Be careful what you wish for! 
 
Lovable but disaster-prone Mildred Hubble is possibly the worst ever trainee witch to darken the doors of Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. 
 
Mildred makes a wish on a shooting star and to her great surprise it comes true! Mildred's wish-come-true is a small dog but how can she keep him a secret from her friends, and especially the formidable Miss Hardbroom? . . . 
 
The Worst Witch and The Wishing Star is the seventh adventure in Jill Murphy's hilarious Worst Witch series full of fun, magic and mayhem.

First Prize for the Worst Witch

The eighth and final adventure in the hilarious Worst Witch series. 
 
"I am a hopeless case - everything I do always does go wrong in the end." 
 
Summer term has started at Miss Cackle's Academy, and somehow disaster-prone Mildred Hubble has made it to Year Four without being expelled. 
 
Even though everyone knows her as the Worst Witch, she's secretly set her sights on winning the school's highest honour - that of Head Girl of Miss Cackle's Academy. 
 
Can she stay out of trouble and prove to everyone that even the worst witch can turn her fortunes around? 
Not if her arch-enemy Ethel Hallow has anything to do with it... 
 
'The Worst Witch is back - and it's as subtly feminist as ever' - New Statesman 
 
Read the rest of Mildred's (mis)adventures: The Worst Witch, A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch, The Worst Witch All at Sea, The Worst Witch Saves the Day, The Worst Witch to the Rescue and The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star.

Everything I do always goes wrong in the end. . . 
 
Lovable but disaster-prone Mildred Hubble is possibly the worst ever trainee witch to darken the doors of Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. 
 
As if by magic Mildred has made it to Year Four without being expelled. Even though everyone knows her as the worst witch in the school, she's secretly set her sights on winning the highest honour - that of Head Girl of Miss Cackle's Academy. Can she stay out of trouble and prove to everyone that even the worst witch can turn her fortunes around?. . . 
 
First Prize for the Worst Witch is the final adventure in Jill Murphy's hilarious Worst Witch series full of fun, magic and mayhem.

The Worst Witch to the Rescue

'It isn't actually a known spell. I sort of made it up myself.' 
 
Mildred Hubble has always been the worst witch at Miss Cackle's Academy, but she just knows this term will be different. She's done the best holiday project ever and she's sure that her form teacher, the fearsome Miss Hardbroom, will be impressed. Even her arch-enemy, Ethel Hallow, is being friendly to her! But is it all too good to be true - will disaster strike again for the Worst Witch? 
 
Mildred may be the worst witch at the academy but she's the best friend you could ever have. Millions of readers love her. And so will you . . .

It isn't actually a known spell. I sort of made it up myself. . . 
 
Lovable but disaster-prone Mildred Hubble is possibly the worst ever trainee witch to darken the doors of Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. 
 
Mildred just knows this term will be different. She's done the best holiday project ever and she's sure fearsome Miss Hardbroom will be impressed but when even her arch-enemy, Ethel Hallow, begins to be nice to her - all seems too good to be true. . . could this spell trouble? 
 
The Worst Witch to the Rescue is the sixth adventure in Jill Murphy's hilarious Worst Witch series full of fun, magic and mayhem.

The Worst Witch Saves the Day

The Worst Witch Saves the Day is the fifth adventure in the much-loved Worst Witch series by Jill Murphy, in which lovable but disaster-prone Mildred Hubble is in trouble once again. She is possibly the worst witch ever to go to Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches . . . 
 
'What this cat needs is to pull himself together!' 
 
Something is up at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches: Mildred Hubble's new form teacher is really weird. Or is she? Investigating isn't easy, especially when Mildred's potions go wrong, the class know-it-all insists on being 'helpful' and her beloved cat is having a meltdown . . . 
 
'A lovely, sparkly book' - Observer

This cat needs to pull himself together! 
 
Something is up at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches: Mildred Hubble's new form teacher is really weird. . . Or is she? 
 
Investigating isn't easy, especially when Mildred's potions go wrong, the class know-it-all insists on being 'helpful' and her beloved cat is having a meltdown . . . 
 
The Worst Witch Saves the Day is the fifth adventure in Jill Murphy's hilarious Worst Witch series full of fun, magic and mayhem.

The Worst Witch All at Sea

The Worst Witch All At Sea is the fourth hilarious adventure in The Worst Witch series. 
 
Mildred Hubble is in deep water on the school trip! 
 
Lovable but disaster-prone Mildred Hubble is possibly the worst ever trainee witch to darken the doors of Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. 
 
When the class goes for a week's school trip to the seaside, Mildred can't bear to leave behind her beloved cat, Tabby behind, so she smuggles him along. But keeping Tabby hidden leads Mildred into yet more trouble... 
 
'A wonderful zany story' - Daily Telegraph 
 
Look out for more of Mildred's disastrous adventures: The Worst Witch, The Worst Witch Strikes Again, A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch, The Worst Witch Saves the Day, The Worst Witch to the Rescue, The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star and First Prize for the Worst Witch.

Mildred Hubble is in deep water on the school trip! 
 
Lovable but disaster-prone Mildred Hubble is possibly the worst ever trainee witch to darken the doors of Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. 
 
When the class goes for a week's school trip to the seaside, Mildred can't bear to leave her beloved cat Tabby behind, so she smuggles him along. But keeping Tabby hidden leads Mildred into more trouble. . . 
 
The Worst Witch All at Sea is the fourth adventure in Jill Murphy's hilarious Worst Witch series full of fun, magic and mayhem.

A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch

'The cat is supposed to be on the broomstick, Mildred,' said Miss Hardbroom wearily. 
 
The new term spells disaster for Mildred Hubble, trainee witch at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. But she is determined to lose her embarrassing reputation as the worst witch the Academy has ever seen. But however hard she tries, things rapidly get out of hand! 
 
'Hurray for Jill Murphy - readers will love the antics of Mildred Hubble and her hopeless tabby cat' - Independent 
 
There are 8 hilarious Worst Witch adventures to collect: 
The Worst Witch 
The Worst Witch Strikes Again 
A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch 
The Worst Witch All at Sea 
The Worst Witch Saves the Day 
The Worst Witch to the Rescue 
The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star 
First Prize for the Worst Witch

The third hilarious adventure in the magical Worst Witch series. 
 
'The cat is supposed to be on the broomstick, Mildred,' said Miss Hardbroom wearily. 
 
The new term spells disaster for Mildred Hubble, trainee witch at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. But she is determined to lose her embarrassing reputation as the worst witch the Academy has ever seen. But however hard she tries, things rapidly get out of hand!

The Worst Witch Strikes Again

The second hilarious adventure in the Worst Witch series. 
 
'I wonder,' said Miss Cackle, 'if there is any hope for you in this Academy, Mildred.' 
 
It's the Summer Term at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches and disaster-prone, trainee witch Mildred Hubble is in deep trouble again - all because of the new girl Enid Nightshade, who isn't nearly as sweet and innocent as she looks... 
 
'Millions of young readers have fallen under the spell of Jill Murphy's Worst Witch' - Sunday Express 
 
There are 8 Worst Witch stories to collect: 
The Worst Witch 
The Worst Witch Strikes Again 
A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch 
The Worst Witch All at Sea 
The Worst Witch Saves the Day 
The Worst Witch to the Rescue 
The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star 
First Prize for the Worst Witch

The second hilarious adventure in the Worst Witch series. 
 
'I wonder,' said Miss Cackle, 'if there is any hope for you in this Academy, Mildred.' 
 
It's the Summer Term at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches and disaster-prone, trainee witch Mildred Hubble is in deep trouble again - all because of the new girl Enid Nightshade, who isn't nearly as sweet and innocent as she looks...

The Worst Witch (Colour Gift Edition)

Hang on to your broomstick for a gorgeous colour paperback edition of The Worst Witch! 
Written and illustrated by Jill Murphy when she was only sixteen, disaster-prone Mildred Hubble - the worst witch at Miss Cackle's Academy - has been casting her spell for over forty years, enchanting millions of young readers. 
For this special edition, Jill Murphy has reproduced her original illustrations entirely in gorgeous full colour, and has written a special letter to her readers. 
 
Mildred Hubble is a trainee at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches, but she's making an awful mess of it. She keeps getting her spells wrong and crashing her broomstick. And when she turns Ethel, the teacher's pet into her worst enemy, chaos ensues... 
 
'Millions of young readers have fallen under the spell of Jill Murphy's Worst Witch' - Sunday Express 
 
Jill Murphy was born in London in 1949. From a very early age she was drawing and writing stories, and was already putting books together (literally, with a stapler) by the time she was six. She went on to study at Chelsea, Croydon and Camberwell Schools of Art. Jill worked in a children's home for four years and as a nanny for a year, before becoming a freelance writer and illustrator. The Worst Witch stories, of which this is the first, are some of Puffin's most successful titles.

Millions of young readers have fallen under the spell of Jill Murphy's Worst Witch

Mildred Hubble is a trainee at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches, but she's making an awful mess of it. She keeps getting her spells wrong and crashing her broomstick. And when she turns Ethel, the teacher's pet into her worst enemy, chaos ensues... 
Written and illustrated by Jill Murphy when she was 16, disaster-prone Mildred Hubble - the worst witch at Miss Cackle's Academy - has been casting her spell for over forty years, enchanting millions of young readers. For this special edition, Jill Murphy has reproduced her original illustrations in full colour, and has written a special letter to her readers.

The Worst Witch; The Worst Strikes Again; A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch and The Worst Witch All at Sea

Puffin audio presents brand new recordings of the one and only Worst Witch, read by Gemma Arterton. 
 
Mildred Hubble is the worst witch at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches - she's always getting her spells wrong. But she manages to get by until she turns Ethel, the teacher's pet, into her deadly enemy . . 
 
This audiobook collection includes: 
 
The Worst Witch 
The Worst Witch Strikes Again 
A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch 
The Worst Witch All at Sea

Puffin audio presents brand new recordings of the one and only Worst Witch, read by Gemma Arterton. 
 
Mildred Hubble is the worst witch at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches - she's always getting her spells wrong. But she manages to get by until she turns Ethel, the teacher's pet, into her deadly enemy . . 
 
This audiobook collection includes: 
 
The Worst Witch 
The Worst Witch Strikes Again 
A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch 
The Worst Witch All at Sea

Dear Hound

Alfie the deerhound is a large grey puppy. He loves his boy Charlie, and cheese, and he's very good at digging holes. But poor Alfie has got lost and he's scared - of thunderstorms and being hungry and never seeing Charlie again . . . 
 
Meanwhile, Charlie doesn't know what to do - but one thing is for sure: he'll never stop looking for his dear hound. Can Alfie ever find his way back to Charlie - and his great big squashy beanbag in the kitchen? 
 
Written and illustrated by Jill Murphy, the creator of the much-loved Worst Witch series and picture book classics such as Peace at Last and The Large Family.

Alfie the deerhound is a large grey puppy. He loves his boy Charlie, and cheese, and he's very good at digging holes. But poor Alfie has got lost and he's scared - of thunderstorms and being hungry and never seeing Charlie again . . . 
 
Meanwhile, Charlie doesn't know what to do - but one thing is for sure: he'll never stop looking for his dear hound. Can Alfie ever find his way back to Charlie - and his great big squashy beanbag in the kitchen?

First time appearance in Young Puffin Modern Classics, The Worst Witch Strikes Again deserves its place, having been continuously in print for over 25 years.

The Worst Witch Strikes Again, written and illustrated by Jill Murphy, is reissued with exciting new branding and format. The Worst Witch has become one of Puffin's bestselling children's series for readers aged 5 - 9 years. 
 
It's the summer term at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches and disaster-prone Mildred Hubble is in deep trouble yet again - and all because of the new girl, Enid Nightshade, who isn't nearly as angelic as she looks. 
'Millions of young readers have fallen under the spell of Jill Murphy's Worst Witch' - Sunday Express 
 
Jill Murphy was born in London in 1949. From a very early age she was drawing and writing stories, and was already putting books together (literally, with a stapler) by the time she was six. She went on to study at Chelsea, Croydon and Camberwell Schools of Art. Jill worked in a children's home for four years and as a nanny for a year, before becoming a freelance writer and illustrator. 
 
If you'd like to read more of Mildred's disastrous adventures at Miss Cackle's Academy The Worst Witch Strikes Again, A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch, The Worst Witch All at Sea, The Worst Witch Saves the Day and The Worst Witch to the Rescue are also available from Puffin.

It's the summer term at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches and disaster-prone Mildred Hubble is in deep trouble yet again &ndash; and all because of the new girl, Enid Nightshade, who isn't nearly as angelic as she looks.

Jill Murphy

Puffin Clothbound Classics are stunning collectable hardback editions of some of the best-loved classics in the world - including this spellbinding 50th anniversary edition of The Worst Witch, the original magical boarding school series. 
 
School spells trouble for Mildred Hubble! 
 
Disaster-prone Mildred is a trainee at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches, but she's making an awful mess of it. She keeps getting her spells wrong and crashing her broomstick. And when she turns Ethel, the teacher's pet into her worst enemy, chaos ensues...

Jill Murphy

Praise for The Worst Witch

A wonderful zany story

Books by Jill Murphy

Series by Jill Murphy

The Worst Witch

Articles featuring Jill Murphy

Make your own ‘The Worst Witch’ crafts!

12 magical books for Harry Potter fans

Best fictional schools in kid’s literature

‘She was a born storyteller’: Why we love Jill Murphy

12 books packed with girl power

10 audiobooks for a listen-aloud adventure

Where to start with The Worst Witch books

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