Witch Week facts for kids
First edition
|
|
| Author | Diana Wynne Jones |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Ionicus |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Series | Chrestomanci |
| Genre | Children's fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Macmillan |
|
Publication date
|
1982 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 210 pp (first edition) |
| ISBN | 978-0-333-33189-7 |
| OCLC | 47044550 |
| LC Class | PZ7.J684 Wj 1982 |
| Preceded by | The Magicians of Caprona |
| Followed by | The Lives of Christopher Chant |
Witch Week is an exciting fantasy novel for children by the British author Diana Wynne Jones. It was first published in 1982. This book is the third one in the popular Chrestomanci series.
The story of Witch Week takes place in October 1981 at Larwood House. This is a boarding school in southern England. The world in the book is very much like ours, but with one big difference. In this world, some people have magical powers. These people are called "witches," whether they are male or female. However, using magic is against the law and can lead to very serious consequences. The adventure begins when a teacher finds a mysterious note that says: "SOMEONE IN THIS CLASS IS A WITCH."
Contents
What Happens in Witch Week?
Witch Week is set in a version of Great Britain that looks like our modern world. But here, witchcraft is real. Even though witches are common, using magic is against the law. People who are found to be witches face severe punishment. A group called the Inquisition makes sure these laws are followed.
Trouble at Larwood House
Larwood House is a boarding school. Many of the students there are children whose parents were accused of witchcraft. One day, a teacher finds a note in a classroom. It says, "Someone in this class is a witch." This starts an investigation at the school.
The investigation focuses on students who are not very popular, like Nan Pilgrim and Charles Morgan. These students are slowly realizing that they might actually be witches themselves. Soon, things start to get chaotic. Magic is used to make birds appear in class. Shoes rain down from the sky. One student is even cursed so that everything he says comes true!
Magic Gets Out of Control
As the magic gets totally out of hand, one of the students runs away. They leave notes that try to blame the witch for controlling them. The headmistress of the school gets worried. She calls in an Inquisitor. This official's job is to find the missing student and figure out who is causing all the magical trouble.
Seeking Help and Changing History
Four more students decide to run away from the school. Two of them try to find help from a secret system. This system is known for helping witches escape to other worlds where they are safe. Instead, they are given a special spell.
All five students meet up and use the spell. It summons a powerful enchanter named Chrestomanci. Chrestomanci and the children discover something amazing. Their world became different from our world (which they call 12B) because of a specific event in history.
They decide to work together to outsmart the local Inquisition. Their goal is to merge their history, and their world, with ours. It turns out that most of the schoolchildren are witches. If they succeed in changing history, everyone will lose their magical powers.
About the Chrestomanci Series
The Chrestomanci books are named after a very powerful enchanter. He is also a British government official in a world that is parallel to ours. This official is called the Chrestomanci. His job is to oversee how magic is used. Sometimes, "Chrestomanci" also refers to the government office itself.
Who is Chrestomanci?
Witch Week takes place in the late 20th century. During this time, the Chrestomanci is a character named Christopher Chant. He is the main Chrestomanci in five of the seven books. People often just call him Chrestomanci as his name.
Parallel Worlds Explained
The Chrestomanci and his office are unique to a world they call "World 12A." This is the main setting for most of the series. There are many other worlds with British governments. Our world is called 12B. It's like a next-door neighbor to World 12A. The world in Witch Week is even closer to ours. The Chrestomanci has helpers in some of these worlds, but he doesn't know about the world in Witch Week.
Awards and Recognition
Witch Week was recognized as a top book. It was named a School Library Journal Book of the Year.
