Lulu Goes to Witch School (I Can Read! Reading with Help: Level 2) by Jane O'Connor (25-Jun-2013) Paperback

Lulu the Witch #2

by Jane O'Connor

Lulu Witch can't wait to start school. She has a new broom and a lunch box with Dracula on it. She likes her teacher, Miss Slime. But Lulu has a problem--abother little witch who knows and does everything perfectly. Then a case of lizard pox turns her enemy into a wonderful new friend.

Genres: Halloween, Picture Books, Childrens, 2nd Grade, Fiction, School, Fantasy

Unknown Binding

First published September 1, 1987

About the author

Since the publication of Fancy Nancy, Jane O'Connor's closet now boasts so many boas, tiaras, and sparkly ensembles that sometimes friends do not recognize her on the street. She still resides (that's a fancy word for lives) in New York City with her family and their canine companion, Arrow. --from the publisher's website

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute though I wanted more charm and detail in the illustrations and descriptions of the witch school environment.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lulu Goes to Witch School, illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully

In this second early-reader devoted to the adventures of little witch-girl Lulu - the first was Lulu and the Witch Baby - our witchy heroine experiences her first day at school, where she discovers that she likes her teacher, Miss Slime, but dislikes her classmate, Sandy Witch. A bit of a braggart and a bully, with the accomplishments to back up her snooty superiority act - she arrives at school knowing more than Lulu, she wins praise from Miss Slime for her artwork, and she proves a whiz at flying - Sandy is ruining Lulu's school experience! It takes a bout of lizard pox to even things out...

Like its predecessor, Lulu Goes to Witch School uses an enchanting environment - witches! magic! potions and spells! - to explore an all-too-common childhood experience: the first day of school. Unlike its predecessor, which didn't really speak to me, I found this story rather charming. Young readers will really identify with Lulu's feelings of frustrations, I think, and sympathize with her awkwardness, and desire to avoid school. The humorous conclusion to the tale, along with the colorful, cartoon-like illustrations from Emily Arnold McCully, will only add to their enjoyment. Recommended to beginning readers who enjoy witchy tales, along with similar titles from Deborah Hautzig ( Little Witch's Big Night ) and Bruce Degen ( The Little Witch and the Riddle ).

[La Coccinelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't terrible, but I guess I was expecting more, given that it's by Jane O'Connor of Fancy Nancy fame. It's very obviously a book that's meant to be read by early readers. The story is perhaps a little too simple, and aside from the gimmick of everything being witchy, I didn't find much to love about it.

Basically, Lulu goes to witch school. It's just like it sounds. Think Hogwarts for very young children. Lulu's teacher is Miss Slime, who has a wart on her chin and is described as being beautiful (I guess, by witch standards, she is). There's this girl in Lulu's class, though, who's a thorn in her side. Sandy Witch is a pretentious little know-it-all who can do everything better than Lulu. (I'm not sure why this kid hasn't been skipped ahead a few grades. Just so she can be a foil for Lulu?)

Anyway, one day Lulu comes down with lizard pox (which seems to be a variation on chicken pox) and can't go to school for a few days. When she gets back, she finds that Sandy Witch has also had the lizard pox (of course!) so the girls immediately start competing to see who has the most spots.

I don't know if there's really a lesson to be learned here. It's basically two kids being really competitive. Maybe the story and relationship are fleshed out in future installments, but I'm not sure I'd want to bother reading them. This was just mediocre for me. If kids really want to read about witches, they'd probably do better to just skip straight to Harry Potter and have an adult read it to them if they're not quite ready to tackle it on their own.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even young witches occasionally have to deal with bullies.
Very cute chapter book with pictures by Emily Arnold McCully.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lulu Goes to Witch School was originally published in 1987 with illustrations by Emily Arnold McCully. This 2013 edition resurrects the story with brand-new illustrations by Bella Sinclair. Lulu is excited and nervous about going to witch school for the first time. When she gets there, she finds that she loves almost everything about school, except for Sandy Witch. Sandy seems to have the best of everything - and to be the best at flying, singing, and drawing - and she makes Lulu feel bad about it. It’s not until both girls get the lizard pox and take a day off from school that they realize not everything has to be a competition.

This is a great early school story for kids who are just starting to read independently. The school setting provides familiar context for understanding what happens to Lulu, but the witch-themed details give it a fun creative spin as well. Instead of butterflies in her stomach, Lulu has bats. For breakfast, Lulu eats frosted snake flakes, and she carries her lunch in a Dracula lunchbox. At witch school, “spelling” has nothing to do with knowing the alphabet, and cubbies are a place to store brooms, not backpacks. Everything a child recognizes from her own day at school also happens in Lulu’s day, but with a bit of a witchy spin.

The witch theme comes to life even more strongly in the illustrations. I am not familiar with the original McCully pictures, but Sinclair’s new ones are absolutely delightful. Not only do they clearly portray the events described in the text, but they also add an entire subtext of their own. Though she is never mentioned in the story proper, Lulu’s baby sister appears in almost every scene that takes place at Lulu’s house. The baby is shown waving her own tiny witch’s hat, eating spiders off a spoon, and even dragging a live rat around by its tail. Sinclair also gives us a taste of witchy home decorating, showing us the pumpkin basin in Lulu’s sink, accompanied by a jack o’lantern hand towel, and the big electric-powered cauldron Lulu’s mom uses to cook dinner. There is a whole world happening inside these illustrations, and kids will be eager to fall right into it.

Though this book is likely to be most popular at Halloween, it’s also a great choice for kids dealing with a classroom rivalry, or simply getting ready for their own first days at school. It’s also fun to read just for the enjoyment of a good story with fantastic pictures. Lulu Goes to Witch School will appeal to fans of the Little Witch books by Deborah Hautzig as well as fans of The Worst Witch series by Jill Murphy.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost worth rounding up to four stars, given the twist ending to the 'coping with the mean girl' cliché. And of course kids enjoy the little details like the beautiful dress with spiders, made ugly when the spiders get spelled into flowers.

[Margaret Chind · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have always enjoyed Jane O'Connor's Fancy Nancy books so I was intrigued to see a different book by her about a little Lulu Witch. To learn this is an older revisited story was fun. It's not a surprise to me that I enjoy this early reader. After all most all of the best ones (at least the text) were originally published in the late 80s and early 90s, as this one originates in 1987 if I'm not mistaken (right around the perfect age for myself as an early read if I do recall!). I love it when good things are republished or given fresh illustrations. (1987/2013)

Starting a new school and making new friends can be rough. Yet sometimes you just have to seek out that connection or wait for nature to highlight. This is silly, quirky and witchy-fun.

Thanks to HC.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lulu goes to school where she meets Sandy Witch. Sandy Witch is a bit of a bully and competes with Lulu on everything. At the end, the both get covered with spots due to "lizard pox" and Lulu finally beats Sandy at a competition because Lulu has more spots.

Update: A little boy was being mean to my son today, and I told him to ignore the little boy. He said, "Like Lulu Witch?" I said, "Yes!" I thought that was cute.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a really fun read aloud at Halloween time. The best is to memorize it and act it out for students! They will love it!

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a child, I would have liked this story, and I'm sure kids will compare the witches' school with their own experience.

[Abigail · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lulu Goes to Witch School, illustrated by Bella Sinclair

Lulu the witch goes to school for the first time in this second early reader devoted to her magical adventures, following upon Lulu and the Witch Baby . Although she likes her teacher, Miss Slime, Lulu finds her classmate, Sandy Witch, more than a little annoying. Seemingly good at everything, and not afraid to boast about it, the other little witch looks poised to ruin Lulu's schooldays. Will a bout of lizard pox fix matters, or are these two destined to be witchy foes...?

Originally published in 1987, with illustrations from Emily Arnold McCully, Lulu Goes to Witch School was reprinted in 2014 in this updated edition, with new artwork by Bella Sinclair, and a revised text from author Jane O'Connor. In comparing the two versions side by side, I discovered that the text in this new edition had been simplified, with whole sentences removed, and the occasional change made in order. I found the result less satisfactory than the original, and am not sure why the change needed to be made in the first place. The result felt a little dumbed dumb, especially as the new edition is a level 2 I Can Read Book, and doesn't need to be that simple. For instance, why change the following:

"It was the first day of witch school. Lulu Witch was happy. She was scared too. She had never been to witch school before. Lulu could not eat her frosted snake flakes. She felt as is bats were inside her tummy."

and make it into this:

"It was the first day of witch school. Lulu Witch was happy and scared. Lulu could not eat her frosted snake flakes. She felt as is bats were inside her tummy."

The former is a little bit longer, but still has simple sentences, and isn't that much more difficult to read. In addition to this unnecessary simplification, I also felt that sometimes the changes here were done to make the narrative a little less sharp, a little less thoughtful, resulting in a text that felt a little more generic. For example, when Lulu meets her teacher Miss Slime for the first time, in the original, the text tells us: "Lulu thought Miss Slime was very pretty." Given the description that came before, of the teacher's warts and long nose, this could emphasize the different beauty standards in the witchy community, in this tale, or possibly even raise the idea of the subjective nature of aesthetic taste, in the child reader. In the new edition, the description of Miss Slime with her long nose and wart on her chin is simply followed by the statement: "Miss Slime was very pretty," making what what was a more nuanced look at the idea of beauty into a flat statement. There's nothing here for the child to ponder, nothing to evoke deeper thought. Similarly, towards the end of the book, when Lulu ends up having more spots from the Lizard Pox, the following sentence is removed entirely from the new edition: "For once she had done something better than Sandy Witch." The implication here seems to be that Lulu's moment of petty triumph, in surpassing her rival, is so problematic that it must be excised, even thought its very pettiness is true to childhood, and also what gives that moment humor?

As the foregoing should make plain, I think the changes made in Lulu Goes to Witch School were unnecessary, and resulted in a subtly inferior narrative than the original. I didn't have the original of Lulu and the Witch Baby to hand, when reading the newer edition of that one, but I suspect similar changes were made. I find it disappointing, and a little troubling, that these changes are being made in a book that it already so simple, as it points to falling standards in the books we are giving beginning readers, both textually and intellectually. I thought Bella Sinclair's new artwork here was cute (as I did with the new edition of Lulu and the Witch Baby ), but in the end, I don't really recommend this one, and would advise parents and teachers to seek out the original instead.

[Shaylin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is about a little witch who is going to school for the first time. At first, she doesn’t get along with her classmate Sandy but throughout the book they come to realize that their first impressions were not correct. After a bout with lizard pox Lulu is excited to go back to school. I liked the book as it was a cute way to introduce starting school for the first time and the skill of how to make friends. I would recommend this book for young readers because it has easily accessible language and sentences of medium length that will help to extend their knowledge of reading along with it being an engaging story that children will enjoy.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The one question I have about this series is why on Earth aren't there more? My daughter has both books, in the new editions with Bella Sinclair illustrations and she LOVES them. These books are so cute and so perfect for both little girls and moms to read together. Not every girl likes overly girly books... My daughter finds Lulu really relatable with her toy bats and vampires and her personality. I would buy anything with these characters. Lol. My daughter hates dolls, but she said she would play with a Lulu doll if they made one, so that's saying a lot!

[Carina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as a gift from my great-aunt. It came along with several other Halloween books, but I thought they all looked too scary. The only one I would let my mom read is this one: Lulu Goes to Witch School. We loved the adorable illustrations by Bella Sinclair. We liked the witchy details. Cute story.

[Jaelyn Cloepfil]

In this funny Halloween story Lulu the witch girl is a little nervous about her first day of school. But by the end of the book she is flying around the cemetery with ease. This would be a great book for Early Readers just starting out.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would rate this much higher if the ending were a little better. There's not much time spent on how to deal with bullies, and the teacher and parent don't seem to care much about the bullying either...

[Robin Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

cute

[Adrianne Rosal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witches of the world UNITE!!!! Lol very cute book.

[Sarah Daniluk · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not easy being new to school. It's even worse when you don't like your classmates. Luckily, there is always a chance to find common ground.

[Echo · Rating 5 out of 5]

She enjoyed it

My daughter read it in less than 20min. Good easy fast read. Would read and get more books like this

[fatima carde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witch school

when lulu was rideing the broom and what i dont like is when lulu have a Fight with sany 👍🏻

[The Reading Writing Puppet · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is okay... about little witches going to school and leaning to get along. It’s a good book for children who are learning to read

[Aneesa · Rating 2 out of 5]

We couldn't really relate.

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found it in a Little Library and decided to read it on a lark. Reader, I loved it. It made my 7-year old inner child happy.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun tale about a young witch starting school and trying to make friends. The narrative is good for beginning readers and the illustrations are colorful and cartoonish.

[Lauren C · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book to discuss feeling jealousy, bullying and other tough things that can happen at school.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite book when I was in first grade.

[Tayler K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always intended to read some Lulu books because the illustrations are so cute! This is the first one I've gotten around to.

I didn't care too much for the story. Lulu starts school and deals with another witch who is a know-it-all and a bully. The teacher doesn't do anything to make Sandy chill out but lets her be teacher's pet, Lulu's mom is unconcerned, none of the others girls stick up for Lulu. Somehow after coming back from having lizard pox, they're friends. I didn't get how that would help. Lulu finally beats Sandy at something though--she has more spots on her face. One thing I did like was how they said Miss Slime was pretty with her long nose and wart.

The illustrations were super cute though and earned the third star from me. I loved all the little details with the mice, spiders, bats, cats, classroom decorations, all that. Plus it was just super cute. A+ illustrations.

[Kate McGinty aka Caryn Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lulu is finally old enough to go off to witch school, and she is thrilled. But her experience is tainted when she ends up sitting next to know-it-all Sandy. Just once she wants to beat Sandy at something. But what?

Lulu Goes to Witch School is an enjoyable take on the typical first-day-of-school story. The world of the young witches is imaginative and entertaining, as bats are common pets, children eat Frosted Snake Flakes for breakfast, and gray dresses with spiders on them are considered much prettier than pink, flowered dresses. The stuck-up Sandy is a fun character to portray when reading aloud. I do wish that there had been a little more resolution, perhaps with Sandy learning her lesson about putting others down, but the story does end on an amicable note and there is hope that Sandy and Lulu's differences will eventually be resolved.

[Krysta · Rating 4 out of 5]

We loved this book. It was easy enough for my son, who is transitioning between 1 & 2 level readers, to read all by himself. The story kept him, and my other sons who came over to listen, completely engaged. We read the new version with the new illustrations, and we all loved the illustrations. My boys would stop on every page to just look at the pictures, and point out little things, here and there. We all agreed the witches were just too adorable! They loved the "witch" versions of things, like Lizard Pox and Dragon Noodle Soup, etc. We liked it so much, I came to check if there were more in the series, and was disappointed to see that there are only two, and considering they were written almost 30 years ago, probably no chance there will be more. We were quite disappointed :( However, we will probably read Lulu again, especially around Halloween time :)