Lorna Wood

[Louise]

Lorna Wood’s amusing series about the Hag Dowsabel, a witch who lives in a hut on hen’s legs, were favourites of mine as a child. All but the first one feature the Linleys, a very ordinary family who accept the presence of a witch living at the bottom of their garden in a matter of fact way. The Hag teaches the Linley children magic. They are:
The People In the Garden
Rescue by Broonstick
The Hag Calls for Help
Seven League Ballet Shoes
Hags on Holiday
Hag in the Castle
Hag by Starlight
They are all very amusing. Various eccentric friends of the Hag appear in the corse of the series. My favourite is Seven League Ballet Shoes, in which the Hag’s nephew Flounderbore, who is a giant, is sent by the Hag as a pupil to Jane Linley’s ballet school.(he has pills to keep his height down).
She also wrote two very good non magical family stories which I enjoyed, Climb by Candlelight, and The Golden Haired Family.

[Capn]

The People in the Garden
Rescue by Broomstick
The Hag Calls for Help
Seven League Ballet Shoes
Hags on Holiday
Hag in the Castle
Hag by Starlight is not yet listed on Goodreads :(

Funny - the house on legs, and the seven league boots both feature in Howl’s Moving Castle. I wonder if they are part of the Baba Yaga mythology? :)
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

But these sound great, regardless! :D

[Louise]

Capn wrote: "The People in the Garden
Rescue by Broomstick
The Hag Calls for Help
Seven League Ballet Shoes
Hags on Holiday
[book:..."

They are very funny. The Hag is like a typical strong minded English spinster of her era, except she happens to do magic, live in a hut on hen’s legs, have a talking cat etc.

[Capn]

Louise - I read Seven League Ballet Shoes. I LOVED it! :)

I've just attempted to borrow, "The Hag Calls for Help" via ILL (see my whine on ERYLibraries charging a tenner for each book borrowed via ILL!) from the British National Library, because all of the other books were selling for a bit too much money at present. :S

I found The Travelling Tree by Lorna Wood for cheap on WOB and thought I'd give it a try - it has a Hag Dowasbel story in it!!! <3

Just about to start reading it now.

(Ten pounds to borrow a library book!!! I'm aghast)

[Sem]

Capn wrote: "Louise - I read Seven League Ballet Shoes. I LOVED it! :)

I've just attempted to borrow, "The Hag Calls for Help" via ILL (see my whine on ERYLibraries charging a tenner for each book borrowed via..."

At 10 quid each you might almost be better off getting a reader's pass for the BL and popping up there for a day of binge-reading Lorna Wood.

[Louise]

Capn wrote: "Louise - I read Seven League Ballet Shoes. I LOVED it! :)

I've just attempted to borrow, "The Hag Calls for Help" via ILL (see my whine on ERYLibraries charging a tenner for each book borrowed via..."
I am so glad you enjoyed Seven League Ballet Shoes, it is my favourite of the Hag books, so funny. How interesting about the Travelling Tree, I must look out for it.