`WITCH'S SISTER' PUTS SPELL ON READERS WITH PLOT TWISTS

Witch's Sister Author: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. Publisher: Dell Publishing. Price: $18.75, hardcover; $3.50, paperback. Pages: 150.

From the shadows of the pool,

Black as midnight, thick as gruel,

Come my nymphs, and you shall be,

Silent images of me.

Have you ever suspected someone you know is a witch? If you have, then maybe you'll understand the plight of Lynn, the main character in the book Witch's Sister. Lynn and her best friend, Marjorie, better known as Mouse, think Lynn's next-door neighbor, Mrs. Tuggle, is a witch.

They also suspect that Lynn's older sister, Judith, is studying to be an apprentice witch under Mrs. Tuggle's influence. Judith takes sewing lessons from Mrs. Tuggle and is spending more and more time at her home on the hill.

When I chose this book, I thought it would be easy to read and not have much substance. I decided to read it anyway because I've always been interested in witchcraft. I love the thought of someone performing spells and mixing herbs. As soon as I finished the first chapter, though, I couldn't put it down.

Well-written characters and plot twists make the story believable. Lynn and Mouse have their own personalities that make you think they are real people, and new things are always happening to keep the reader interested.

The story itself was quite appealing. This book gave me the feeling that witchcraft can be anywhere, even in your own neighborhood.

Another thing I enjoyed was the characters. The author made me like these people. Their personality traits were very realistic. Mouse may be thought of as a nerd. She loves to eat and doesn't care about her looks. She is also rather timid, but loyal to her best friend, Lynn.

Lynn is a blonde and cares about her appearance. She also has a wild imagination. She can often make things out to be more than they are. Because of this, I thought she was letting her imagination get away with her at the start of the story.

The characters' feelings and actions are also real. Mouse's way of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time made me laugh. I felt Lynn's frustration when her mother wouldn't believe her suspicions.

Plot twists were important, too. The book was a real page-turner. In every chapter, something would happen to make me doubt my own ideas about where the story was going.

The exciting plot leads to a frightening climax with Mrs. Tuggle baby-sitting for Lynn, Judith and their little brother Stevie, on a night with a full moon. Lynn fears the worst for Stevie, thinking Mrs. Tuggle and Judith are going to try to sacrifice him to strange gods.

Witch's Sister is a wonderful book where theme, plot and characters blend to form a great story. I would recommend this book to anyone in fourth through sixth grade.