Bedknobs and Broomsticks
by Mary Norton

3.5 out of 5 stars

Carey, Charles, and Paul are visiting their aunt for the summer when they meet the neighbor, Miss Price. Miss Price is secretly a witch, and the children see her riding on her broomstick in the night. When she crashes her broomstick, the children help her and in return Miss Price gives them an enchanted bedknob that will magically take them anywhere they wish. The children get into some troublesome adventures and discover that magic is not as simple as it appears.

This book is lots of fun! The plot is imaginative and hilarious, and I love the characters. It’s very different from the Disney movie, but a couple of things are the same. I enjoyed the pretty illustrations in this edition. This is actually two books that have been combined into one. The first book is “The Magic Bedknob”, and the second book “Bonfires and Broomsticks” takes place two years later.

I love Paul’s little comments and his funnily calm demeanor. He is the littlest of the family, and is a bit confused about what is actually going on. Carey takes care of him though, and has a motherly soul. But she is imaginative and prone to flights of fancy. She thinks in extremes, and the others have to hold her back sometimes. Charles has a more steady personality, and he is skeptical of magic in the beginning. Together these siblings make a great team as they navigate the difficulties of traveling on a magic bed.

Miss Price is a complex character with contradictions in her personality. She is very prim and proper, but she secretly longs for adventure. She is polite and precise with her words and actions, but she also has a wild heart that sparks from her eyes at times. The children know that she is someone to take seriously, as though she could be very dangerous if she chose. I adore Miss Price!