The Little Broomstick

Sustained narrative pace and an irresistible ability to evoke a setting have made Mary Stewart's novels among the most popular today. Now she brings these gifts to her first story for young readers. In a fantasy that skillfully blends the real world with the magical, she spins a tale of enchantment and high adventure. A lonely girl spending a holiday in Shropshire provides the setting. A small black cat with green eyes, a rare wildflower called a fly-by-night, and a little broomstick made of birch twigs provide the props. Once introduced, they launch Mary on a wild journey involving spells, witchcraft, and animals transformed. How Mary meets the challenge posed by these strange doings transforms her as surely as the animals she befriends.