Simon and the Witch facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Margaret Stuart Barry |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Linda Birch |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Simon and the Witch |
| Genre | Children's fantasy |
| Publisher | Collins |
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Publication date
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23 August 1976 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 78 pages |
| ISBN | 0-00-184749-X |
| Followed by | Simon and the Witch in School |
| "Simon and the Witch: The Backwards Spell" | |
|---|---|
| Up Our Street episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Alison Stewart |
| Written by | Margaret Stuart Barry (novel) |
| Original air date | 12 September 1985 |
| Running time | 15 min |
| Simon and the Witch | |
|---|---|
| Starring | Elizabeth Spriggs Hugh Pollard Naomie Harris Nicola Stapleton Joan Sims |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 25 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 min. |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC |
| Original release | 16 November 1987 – 20 December 1988 |
Simon and the Witch is a fun series of children's books written by Margaret Stuart Barry and illustrated by Linda Birch. The stories are about a sensible schoolboy named Simon and his best friend, a very silly and show-off witch!
The first story was made into a TV show in 1985 as part of the Children's BBC series Up Our Street. Later, in 1987, the books became a full TV series. Elizabeth Spriggs played the Witch, and Hugh Pollard played Simon. The show ran for two seasons.
Contents
Adventures of Simon and the Witch
The books are full of funny and magical adventures. Here are some of the exciting things that happen in the first book:
The Backwards Spell
In the first chapter, the Witch teaches Simon a spell. It's supposed to turn the school gardener into a frog! But oops, she forgets how to turn him back. After some panic, she finally remembers the spell. The gardener becomes a man again. The Witch secretly says she never forgot it at all!
The Lost Magic Wand
Next, the Witch loses her special wand. Simon takes her to the police station to report it missing. The Witch gets very interested in Constable Scruff's uniform. She decides to become a policewoman herself! Eventually, they find the wand. Two thieves had stolen it and were using it to poke their fire.
The Witch at the Seaside
Simon takes the Witch on a fun day trip to the beach. But the Witch causes a big problem! She makes the English Channel (the sea) disappear. She didn't believe Simon when he said it wasn't flooding. She agrees to put the sea back, but only if she can be on the evening news. And she is!
The Witch Has Measles
In this chapter, the Witch gets a bad case of double German measles. So, she has to go to the hospital. She sees the special trolleys that patients ride on. She then organizes races with them! Everyone has so much fun that they all feel better and go home.
Halloween Party Crashers
The Witch has never heard of Halloween before. She goes to a Halloween party but is not happy. She thinks the other 'witches' there are fake! Luckily, one hundred of her relatives show up. They bring their black cats and crash the party. They show off their real magic many times!
The Witch's Christmas Visitor
The last chapter of the book is set at Christmas. The Witch makes a snowman come to life! She introduces him to everyone as her Uncle Fred.
More Books in the Series
Margaret Stuart Barry wrote many more books about Simon and the Witch. Here are some of them:
- Simon and the Witch in School
- The Return of the Witch
- The Witch and the Holiday Club
- The Millionaire Witch
- The Witch of Monopoly Manor
- The Witch on Holiday
- The Witch V.I.P.
Simon and the Witch on TV
The stories of Simon and the Witch became a popular TV show.
First TV Appearance
In 1985, the very first story, "The Backwards Spell," was made into a short TV episode. It was part of the Up Our Street series on Children's BBC. This series had different, funny stories each time. Desmond Askew played Simon, and Joanna Monro played the Witch in this first episode.
The Full TV Series
Because the first episode was so well-liked, the BBC decided to make a whole TV series. In 1987, the books were turned into a show with twenty-five 15-minute episodes. Elizabeth Spriggs played the Witch, and Hugh Pollard played Simon. Some other famous actors, like Joan Sims and a young Nicola Stapleton, also appeared.
The show first aired on November 16, 1987. It ran for two seasons and was very popular with viewers. It got good ratings for its time slot on Children's BBC. Both seasons were shown again after they first aired.
The second season ended some of the ongoing stories. It also left the door open for a possible third season. However, the main actor, Hugh Pollard, and other child stars were growing up. Also, Children's BBC changed its focus in 1990. So, the second season ended up being the last one.
