The Witch of Bloor Street. (Streetlights). Beth Pollock. Toronto, ON: Lorimer, 2010. 116 pp., pbk. & E-book, $8.95 (pbk.), $7.95 (eBook). ISBN 978-1-55277-536-3 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-55277-537-0 (eBook). Grades 3-5 / Ages 8-10. Review by Inderjit Deogun. **½ /4

excerpt:

There's a curtain hung across a doorway at the back of the room, and a door at the right that's open about an inch. A blazing light shines through the gap, and I walk toward it. What's making that light? A magical orb? A gateway to another world? But when I peek through the opening, I realize it's just a bright overhead light reflecting off white walls. There's a reclining leather chair and, against the wall, there's a counter with a bunch of bottles lined up. It's as tidy as a hair salon — and just as safe.

This isn't what I expected. Where are the ghosts, the cobwebs? The floor doesn't even creak! It isn't dangerous at all.

Suddenly, I hear a cackle of laughter coming from behind the curtain, and the sound of footsteps approaching. I gasp and lurch backwards. What am I doing here? What if it really is dangerous?

Eleven year old Maggie Ito eagerly awaits beginning the sixth grade. She has one goal in mind for the year – to become the best at something. Her hope quickly vanishes when she comes face to face with a cherry red haired witch.

    Maggie begins to experience a string of bad luck that only gets worse with each passing day. The only explanation is that she must be cursed. Maggie is determined to bring her bad luck to an end, and she's willing to try anything. She's so desperate that she decides to be nice to Jarrett Johnson, her arch nemesis, for an entire day.

    The Witch of Bloor Street is a humourous look at a young girl's imagination gone wild. Beth Pollock is able to further the hilarity of Maggie's scheming with her overly agreeable best friend, Sasha. It's only when Maggie seeks the advice of her teacher, Mrs. Fedorchuk, that she realizes she must do the very thing that scares her. The Witch of Bloor Streetillustrates that one cannot let their imagination prevent them from truly seeing things as they are.

Recommended.

Toronto's Inderjit Deogun is currently pursuing a career in publishing with a particular interest in children's literature.

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