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Only Amy and her friend Jean know how to use the new blue bristled broom her mother found in the backyard. It’s not for sweeping; it’s for flying (but not over water). When they realize the broom has feelings, they name her Wispy and take her out on picnics.
Someone else is interested in the new broom, too. A bluejay tries to fly into the house to be near the broom whenever the door is open. The bird eats and drinks like a person and screeches, “Thief! Thief!” whenever Amy’s mother is near. As Wispy grows to trust the friends, she takes them to meet a witch who explains to them that the blue jay is really a witch named Beryl. Beryl is doomed to stay a bird if she doesn’t find the charm that will undo the magic that mistakenly turned her into a bluejay. This charm is mentioned at the beginning of the book when Amy finds something blue on the floor. When the charm and Wispy go missing at the end of the book, she (and the reader) realize why: Beryl has returned home to become a witch again.
This book is set in New York, just like Chew’s first book in the series, The Wednesday Witch. But in this second book, the girls, the broom, and the witch are all different. This book has been re-released with a new modern-looking cover, but the black-and-white illustrations inside appear to be from 1977. They do not distract from the story, but the artwork uses a lot of black ink, and this makes everything look like it happens at night, even though it doesn’t. There are no male characters in the book except a brief mention of Amy’s father (both her parents work).
Girls looking to read early chapter books about friendly witches and magic should find this an easy, cozy read.
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A Matter-of-Fact Magic Book: Witch's Broom (A Stepping Stone Book)