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Five Faves: Witchy Intermediates

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Hee hee hee! Hello, my pretties! Here are five short, illustrated chapter books for the season of the witch - some sweet, some spooky, all magical. 

Written by Norma Kassirer
Illustrated by Mark Richardson.
Oakland, California : The Collective Book Studio, 2024. Intermediate. 88 pages.

Outrageously spoiled Ivy Lou meets her match when a witch appears and tries to trick her into becoming her child. Ivy Lou must unravel the witch's dark magic and save her parents. A modern classic in the register of Roald Dahl, with mischief, humor and spookiness.

Written by Kara LaReau
Illustrated by Ariane Moreira.
New York : Random House Children's Books, 2025. Intermediate. 76 pages.

Witchycakes owes a lot to Kiki's Delivery Service: a cute newbie witch making and delivering baked goods to the residents of their dreamy seaside town. It's cozy and sweet with lots of glowy illustrations.

Written by Perdita & Honor Cargill
Illustrated by Katie Saunders
Wilton, CT : Tiger Tales, 2023. Intermediate. 113 pages.

Bea Black's dad accidentally enrolls her in the local witch school, without knowing that she actually does have magical powers! Can she keep her magic a secret? This funny, expressive series is written in diary entries filled with doodles, asterixis and asides. 

Written by Anna Elizabeth Bennett
Illustrated by Helen Stone
New York : Sky Pony Press, 2013. Intermediate. 127 pages.

This sweet, classic read aloud was originally published in 1953. Minx is the daughter of a wicked, fearsome witch, but she longs to be a normal girl. Minx runs away to go to school and so begin her adventures with mortal classmates and magical creatures alike! 

Lucy Lancaster Has a Secret
Written by Willow Coven
Illustrated by Priscilla Burris
Publication Information: New York : Little Simon, 2025. Intermediate. 119 pages.

A case of hiccups reveals that Lucy Lancaster, Heidi Heckelbeck's best friend, is, in fact, a witch! Sweet, expressive illustrations and large, easy-to-read text make this a great little book for newly independent readers.
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