Halloween is the time when many people's thoughts turn to witches.
I suddenly remembered reading Diana Wynne Jones's Witch Week (1982) many years ago; I decided to take another look to see if it contains any article-inspiring content.
This little book for children combines magic-related fantasy with boarding-school life. While there is little to say about the main story and there isn't much material suitable for direct quotation, there are still a few elements that inspire commentary.
The Witch Week of the title, a time of many strange incidents, begins a few days before Halloween, which makes the book very suitable for the occasion.
A previous article mentions the importance of balancing depressing books with reading material that lifts the spirits.
Witch Week provides supporting evidence for the proposition that hatred can sometimes be helpful.
Charles Morgan is a loner and odd one out among the pupils. He lists in his journal everything that he hates, which includes the school buildings and at one point all the people in the school!
This hatred helps to keep him going.
