It was Mildred Hubble's first year at Miss Crackle's Academy for Witches, and she was one of those people who are always in trouble. She couldn't even ride a broomstick without crashing it, and when she mixed spells she always did the wrong one. But Mildred had lots of friends until she made the dreadful mistake of turning stuck-up Ethel, the teacher's pet, into a pig and thus into her deadly enemy. Ethel's revenge throws her into such disgrace that even her friends desert her. Poor Mildred's struggles, with the author's own hilarious illustrations of the young witches (complete with black gymslips and hobnailed boots), makes a wonderfully funny story which everyone who loves witches and hates school is bound to enjoy.