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<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cI\u2019M AT WITCH SCHOOL! Now would be a really good time to discover I can do magic<\/em>\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n The journal format is very hard to do properly, particularly when the stakes are high and the author needs to maintain tension. Podkayne of Mars <\/em>doesn\u2019t work very well because the stakes rise until Poddy either dies or is badly injured; Adrain Mole <\/em>works better because the stakes are very low and there\u2019s no reason to think the titular character is going to be in any real danger. However, in my opinion, the format works best for children\u2019s stories, as it gives an impression of a juvenile mind dealing with things as they happen rather than looking back from the future. In this, Diary of an Accidental Witch<\/em> \u2013 very definitely a children\u2019s book \u2013 works very well.<\/p>\n The main character, Bea Black, has just moved to Little Spellshire, a town \u2013 unknown to her \u2013 that is shared between the magical and mundane communities. Her dad, a rather absent-minded scientist, accidentally enrols her at the local witch school, forcing her to try to learn magic, as well as broomstick riding, frog-care and various other things. And with the Halloween Ball coming up, poor Bea needs to cast her first spell and try to find a few friends among the witches.<\/p>\n Like I said above, Diary of an Accidental Witch <\/em>is very definitely a child\u2019s book and the stakes are very low, at slightly below The Worst Witch.<\/em> \u00a0 There are no evil wizards or cruel teachers, just a rather snooty student who isn\u2019t quite as bad as she acts (sometimes). Nor does the main character suffer anything worse than the standard problems of someone transferring to a new school \u2013 getting to know people, finding new friends, etc. The only real issue is that the food is terrible. Otherwise, she gets used to the school \u2013 doing well on her broomstick \u2013 and generally makes a good impression, once she gets through the first few rough months.<\/p>\n The book also glosses over issues that, in more adult books, would be unavoidable. \u00a0 The school\u2019s existence doesn\u2019t appear to be a secret, although precisely what <\/em>happens at the school seems to be hidden behind a veil of polite secrecy. The two communities mix and don\u2019t mix, providing an odd moment of confusion for Bea when her ordinary friend meets the witches. There\u2019s no real clash between the two communities, but they seem to be separate and yet sharing the same space. A more adult book would either be set in a world where magic exists openly, or is hidden away from the ordinary muggles. Bea doesn\u2019t seem to have to worry about the mechanics behind this, nor does she face any open discrimination for being an ordinary-born witch.<\/p>\n Overall, the book works very well for what it is<\/em> \u2013 a child\u2019s book in a journal format. Bea\u2019s voice shines on every page. The stakes are low. The school is co-ed, but there are no crushes or romantic issues (the named characters are too young; I\u2019d say they\u2019re ten at the oldest) and most of the concerns are very familiar, if set in a world tinged with magic. The fear of a new school, classes, sports, friends, of finding a place in a very different world. And it very definitely has a degree of charm, aided and abetted by wonderful little illustrations.<\/p>\n