Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley and Me, Elizabeth (E.L. Konigsburg)

Lovely little story. I have to wonder if it would get a Newberry Award these days. The pursuit of witchcraft and secrets from parents might turn people off. Some might even wonder if there's a little bullying in the story. There certainly is a friendship that seems a little one-sided...but it all works out in the end. It was a realistic glimpse into children's friendships.

Goodreads summary:

Elizabeth is an only child, new in town, and the shortest kid in her class. She's also pretty lonely, until she meets Jennifer. Jennifer is...well, "different." She's read "Macbeth." She never wears jeans or shorts. She never says "please" or "thank you." And she says she is a witch. It's not always easy being friends with a witch, but it's never boring. At first an apprentice and then a journeyman witch, Elizabeth learns to eat raw eggs and how to cast small spells. And she and Jennifer collaborate on cooking up an ointment that will enable them to fly. That's when a marvelous toad, Hilary Ezra, enters their lives. And that's when trouble starts to brew.

Favorite quotes:

"Jennifer," I asked, "what do you ever do besides read?"
She looked up at the sky and sighed and said very seriously, "I think."


“...just because I don't have on a silly black costume and carry a silly broom and wear a silly black hat, doesn't mean that I'm not a witch. I'm a witch all the time and not just on Halloween.”