Witch High (Paperback)

~ Denise Little (Editor)
Key Phrases: lunch lady, materia magica, dedicated dreaming, Witch High, Oma Tod, Miss Proctor (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

move over, hogwarts...

High school is different for everyone. For some, it’s a time to shine, and for others, a time to survive. Then there are the students who attend those special schools for the gifted. But what if there was a school that catered to those rarest of students—those who can do magic?

These fourteen tales explore the challenges that students of the magical arts may face in a high school of their very own. If you think chemistry is tough, try alchemy. If you ever fell victim to a school bully, how would you deal with a bully gifted with powerful magic? And if you needed more time to study, what spell could give you all the time you desired?

These are just a few of the magical adventures that will await you when you enter Salem Township Public High School #4— otherwise known as Witch High...

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: DAW (October 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0756405130
• ISBN-13: 978-0756405137
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #538,896 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable interlude, January 13, 2009

By	H. Grove "owling6683" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I found that a few of the stories early on in the book were a little awkward, simplistic or predictable. They were definitely still enjoyable, and I'd say that overall the book has a higher success rate than many anthologies. Later, however, the stories are consistently excellent and I could hardly put the book down. Sarah Zettel's "A Family Thing" is a gorgeous examination of witches past and present and where their power really comes from. Debra Dixon's "Coyote Run" is a slightly dark and definitely fascinating tale of gaining a familiar. Esther Friesner's "You Got Served"--about a harried cafeteria worker in a high school full of witches--is silly, but in a gorgeous way that transcends the jokes it could have been reduced to. Bill McCay's "Remedial Magic", about a girl who cares about nothing more than helping her sick mother, made me cry buckets (I still tear up just thinking about it). Pauline Alama's "Homecoming Crone" is both pure unabashed wish-fulfillment fun, and an elegant tale of the nature of magic and friendship.

Overall, this is a wonderful read for teens or adults--fun, touching, and delightful. I did, however, notice some minor inconsistencies that tended to pull me out of the stories a little. In theory these stories all took place at the same location, but some of the school administrators were different (despite references to one or another of them having been there forever), the level of the world's awareness of magic seemed to change, and some other details were different too (one story mentioned that every witch eventually gets a familiar, but you really don't see familiars in the other stories). If you aren't a detail-freak, however, this probably won't bother you much.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A quick read., February 20, 2009

By	Monica Garcia "ReadingWithMonie.com" (Arlington, Texas USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Life at Salem Township Public High School #4, also known as Witch High, can be very interesting. With fourteen different tales based both on the students and faculty its something different every day. There are the popular kids, cheerleaders, nerds, outcasts and bad boys each with a different magical adventure.

All fourteen authors were new to me and I found a few that I liked enough to look into their backlist. One of my favorite stories was the quick read Temporal Management by Laura Resnick about a teen that needs to learn a thing or two about time management. I recommend this one to all teen paranormal readers.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Compulsive Reader's Reviews, October 7, 2008

By	The Compulsive Reader (Big Rapids, MI, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

For most teens, high school is hard enough without the added stress of magical elements thrown into the mix. But the teens at Salem Public High School #4 not only have to deal with the ins and outs of normal class work, but the additional studying that comes with being a witch as well. You think you can barely stand regular chemistry? Try taking Elemental Chemistry when you can even control your own powers. Not enough time in the day to study for those pesky midterms? Why, there's a spell for that. Don't like the cafeteria's food? Go ahead and transform it--at your own detriment. In a place where nearly anything is possible, a lively time is sure to be had.

Witch High is an absorbing anthology full of fourteen short stories that range from humorous to foreboding, and snarky to heart wrenching. Each story depicts the life of a different person, most of them students, with a couple members of the faculty and staff, and each vary widely. Many of the stories are quite short, giving the reader a slightly rushed impression, and those with an attention for details may be bothered by the occasional contradiction of facts and details between stories. However, if readers can get past those minor faults, they're in for a fun and candid glimpse into an exciting and magical world.