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turrean's review against another edition
4.0
Sweet little old-fashioned chapter book about a family who takes in a little lost witch. Yes, at times it slips toward the saccharine, and the story is definitely dated. But for the most part, this is just a nice story about the power of love.
Some readers seem to take issue with how Felina is changed, seeing this as a kind of brainwashing or repression of her interesting differences. Certainly a more skilled author would have spent time showing how the family changed, too. But this story is not one about a child from a different culture who is repressed into our society's modes of behavior. It isn't about culture at all--the author never shows us what the witches' society is like because it doesn't matter. It just represents Felina's inability to be part of a normal family. (I grant you, that's "normal" for 1960.) The story is part of the family of stories of children damaged and distanced by their early experiences, who are accepted, loved, and taught to be part of society again. Think of [b:Understood Betsy|347151|Understood Betsy|Dorothy Canfield Fisher|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1245261923s/347151.jpg|3234038], [b:The Good Master|258038|The Good Master |Kate Seredy|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347518127s/258038.jpg|250092], [b:The Secret Garden|2998|The Secret Garden|Frances Hodgson Burnett|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327873635s/2998.jpg|3186437], etc.
(BTW this story is the OPPOSITE of the trope about the repressed people who take in the orphaned stranger, and find they are changed by the child, instead of the other way around. [b:Anne of Green Gables|8127|Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1)|L.M. Montgomery|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1309203168s/8127.jpg|3464264] changes Marilla far more than Marilla "civilizes" her; [b:Heidi|93|Heidi (Kingfisher Classics)|Johanna Spyri|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312041159s/93.jpg|1738595] opens her grandfather's heart to love and friendship again.)
Some readers seem to take issue with how Felina is changed, seeing this as a kind of brainwashing or repression of her interesting differences. Certainly a more skilled author would have spent time showing how the family changed, too. But this story is not one about a child from a different culture who is repressed into our society's modes of behavior. It isn't about culture at all--the author never shows us what the witches' society is like because it doesn't matter. It just represents Felina's inability to be part of a normal family. (I grant you, that's "normal" for 1960.) The story is part of the family of stories of children damaged and distanced by their early experiences, who are accepted, loved, and taught to be part of society again. Think of [b:Understood Betsy|347151|Understood Betsy|Dorothy Canfield Fisher|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1245261923s/347151.jpg|3234038], [b:The Good Master|258038|The Good Master |Kate Seredy|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347518127s/258038.jpg|250092], [b:The Secret Garden|2998|The Secret Garden|Frances Hodgson Burnett|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327873635s/2998.jpg|3186437], etc.
(BTW this story is the OPPOSITE of the trope about the repressed people who take in the orphaned stranger, and find they are changed by the child, instead of the other way around. [b:Anne of Green Gables|8127|Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1)|L.M. Montgomery|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1309203168s/8127.jpg|3464264] changes Marilla far more than Marilla "civilizes" her; [b:Heidi|93|Heidi (Kingfisher Classics)|Johanna Spyri|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312041159s/93.jpg|1738595] opens her grandfather's heart to love and friendship again.)
briarsreviews's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love a cute Halloween book, regardless of the age it was written for! I stumbled across The Little Leftover Witch by Florence Laughlin and decided to give into the whimsy of the spooky season. It was time to indulge myself!
This book was utterly cute and had the sweetest ending. It's the kind of fun and joy I want in the spooky season. Thoroughly impressed with this book and I highly recommend it for middle grade readers wanting something spooky but positive. There's no horrors, just lots of fun and Easter eggs of what you might expect a little girl witch to do and like.
It might be old fashioned, but I think it holds up over time. This should be a Fall/Halloween classic!
Four out of five stars.
This book was utterly cute and had the sweetest ending. It's the kind of fun and joy I want in the spooky season. Thoroughly impressed with this book and I highly recommend it for middle grade readers wanting something spooky but positive. There's no horrors, just lots of fun and Easter eggs of what you might expect a little girl witch to do and like.
It might be old fashioned, but I think it holds up over time. This should be a Fall/Halloween classic!
Four out of five stars.
themoonkestrel's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of those books that I've enjoyed reading over and over and over. The little witch gets leftover on Halloween and as she becomes more and more like a little girl, you get to see interesting scenes and things happen, and you grow, oh so fond of her and her new family.
thehodgenator's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely adored this tale of Felina, lost witch girl to little girl
serenahernandez's review against another edition
I love this for the writing and the nostalgia but I don't like the ending. Felina was perfect as a little witch and shouldn't have needed to lose her witchiness to fit in with her new family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
emrsalgado's review against another edition
5.0
I read this with my oldest, the younger one listened some but wasn't that interested, but my oldest really enjoyed it. It's a funny, sweet story that I remember fondly from when I was young.
northstar's review
Read this with the boys and it was just as sweet as I remembered.
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