Medicine might go down with the help of a spoonful of sugar, but Mary Poppins herself would surely agree that middle grade fiction is a sweet enough medicine in its own right. Its the genre I reach for whenever Im feeling a little down or disillusioned; my fictional heart home. Its a genre where its okay to be cheerful and upbeat, where wonder doesnt need to be tempered by cynicism.
Ive had this Eva Ibbotson double volume for years now, having picked it up after reading an essay of hers in a writing handbook back when I was in uni. For some reason, now felt like the right time to read it, and Im pleased to report that my readerly instincts were correct.
Both stories in this double volume feature an irresistible, irrepressible charm; theyre buoyant, cheery and filled with that unapologetic whimsy that is so wonderfully a part of middle grade fiction. The volume opens with'Not Just a Witch, in which witch Heckie sets up a well-intentioned vigilante group known as the Wickedness Hunters and sets about turning wrong-doers into animals. Off to the side we have a fun farcical love triangle (yes, yes, I said something nice about a love triangle) and a case of deception involving a young furrier doing his best to pull the, er, wool over Heckies eyes regarding his true intentions about his sudden interest in transforming everyone around into a rare white leopard.
Its a deceptively slight story: everything seems bright and bubbly on the surface, but beneath the burbling surf quite a few narrative sharks circle menacingly. Heckies intentions might come from a positive place, but her decision to take it upon herself to mete out punishment to those she deems deserving of it is actually quite chilling. Ibbotson guides the reader through this quite gently, however, and younger readers probably wont quite feel the creeping feeling of amorality that older readers might. Heckie gradually widens her sphere of influence, for example, identifying and punishing wicked people on an increasing scale; her charisma results in her having quite a powerful influence over younger characters Daniel and Sumi, and theres a definite cult of personality going on here.
My quibble with'Not Just a Witch'is that the younger characters almost feel extraneous, and we dont really get a good sense of who they are. This is Heckies story, and though I know its pretty much mandatory to have a reader-aged character in a middle grade novel, this one could have easily been just as successful, if not more so, by narrowing its focus to Heckie and her shenanigans. Kid-devoid exceptions seem to be made for animals and paranormal beings, so perhaps a witchy lead could work as well? Because, honestly, Heckies hilarious. Take this quote: At first Heckie had kept this money in her mattress, but [as an animal witch] she was worried that the mice who lived there would nibble it and this would be bad for them. Or this: Oh, I wish I was an Australian witch! Everything over there is so queer and extinct-looking!
The hilarity and farcical mischief continues in'Dial a Ghost, which is a sheer delight through and through. Its exceptionally imaginative and deliciously silly, and is what Id imagine Neil Gaiman might have done with'The Graveyard Book'had he just consumed a few bags of red jellybeans.
In need of a place to haunt, the Wilkinson family ghosts (who became ghosts quite suddenly during the Second World War when a bomb fell on their house), sign up to the Dial a Ghost agency, which specialises in matching haunters and hauntees. Though theyve been paired up with a couple of lovely nuns looking for some pleasant spooks to OoooooO their way around a quaint little manor, a filing mix-up sees them (rather than the commissioned Shriekers) shunted off to Helton Hall instead. The Wilkinsons settle in to manor life quite quickly, and strike up a friendly relationship with young Oliver, an orphan whos just moved into the hall himself. But things start to get messy when Olivers uncle Fulton Snodde-Brittle realises the mix-up: after all, hes paid good money for a bunch of terrifying ghosts to scare Oliver to death so that he might claim Helton for himself.
Yes, this ones full of tropes and cliches, but Ibbotson utilises all of these with a wink and a nod, and their inclusion helps offset some of the more gruesome stuff involving the Shriekers, who are quite terrifying, as well as the all-pervasive theme of mortality that might otherwise get to be too much for young readers. Theres so much humour and warmth at play here, and for a bunch of intangible beings, the characters are nicely rounded. Choice quotes: He was such a clever man, a German professor who had been a teacher in the university before he fell into the canal from thinking about poetry instead of looking where he was going and The [nuns] did, however, get the idea that their new guests [the Shriekers] were not completely happy and relaxed. Of course its often like that with married people before breakfast, said Mother Margaret.
'Rating: 
(excellent)
Support Read in a Single Sitting by purchasing'Not Just a Witch and Dial a Ghost'through one of the affiliate links below:
Amazon'|'Book Depository UK'|'Book Depository USA'|'Booktopia
Other books by Eva Ibbotson:
I enjoyed these too, but not tremendously. However, the Ogre of Oglefort, one her last books, is great!
Oh, excellent! Ill have a look for that one. I have another double of hers here to read, too, and Im looking forward to it. :) I think so much of what I loved about these is that they gel so completely with my sense of humour.
Recently Ive been thinking I need to find some light-hearted fare for reading. All my books have been fantasy bent and I even tried this one series that gave me a headache from all the eye rolling. Something like this would be just the thing, Im thinking.
Haha, I feel your pain, Jami. These books are really cute, and they make a nice palate cleanser. Also, have you read Charles de Lint? Hes not a childrens author, but hes kind of a literary bubble bath. :)
I dont think I have, but now I will have to look those up because I definitely need a literary bubble bath. :)
Oh, you must! Im trying to work up the courage to donate his books as part of my shelf-clearing exercise, but I love them so much. Id ship them over, but I think the cost would bankrupt me!
Ibbotson is good for a laugh, and her books usually have a real heart underneath. Of course, she also have the more serious books which are a bit of a change of pace. And then she has her adult books.
I completely agree with your thoughts about Ibbotson and heart, Beth. I havent read any of her adult books, but Ill see what I can find!