I can't remember when I originally read this, mid-1970s, I would think. I loved it. My 8 y.o. boy just read it and now he's such an independent reader, I only got to read any notes that were written in cursive. He enjoyed it, so I guess it held up well.

Konigsburg's first published book - has its moments as she traces lonely Elizabeth's unusual friendship with Jennifer whose apprentice in witchcraft she becomes - loses momentum at some point and never recaptures it but has all the elements that Konigsburg will later pull together so beautifully in Mixed-Up Files

Elizabeth is new in town. When she meets Jennifer, she discovers that Jennifer is very unique. Jennifer claims to be a witch. Elizabeth endures some odd (but not frightening or dangerous) rituals to prove that she is worthy as a witch (and, really, a friend). When she becomes angry with Jennifer, she is confused and unsure if being friends with Jennifer is really worth it. In the end, she discovers that it is.

My mother wouldn't let me read this book because the main plot is two girls pretending to be witches. So I thought it was about time I read it. There's a lot going on here. More than I think Konigsburg meant to put in. There are layers. Yes, literally like onions.

I'll update this later, but to sum up: bullies? Witches? Crucible. Witch hunts. Civil rights. 1960s. Power. Macbeth. Threats. The security of white privilege. Did the author mean to say all she said in subtext? Was a white Eastern lady in 196- that deep? Or am I making it up? Man, I really want a Black perspective on this book.

Does a child reading this book think Jennifer is actually a witch? Or is it obvious she's not? Is it gradually revealed?

The reviews of this book are amazing because some think Jennifer is a witch, some think not. Some think she's a bully, some think it's a fantastic tale of friendship. Opinions and interpretations are all over the map. I've never seen that before. Really weird little book.

And I felt the ending was deeply unsatisfying.

It's been rather a long time (decades, no doubt) since I last read Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and me, Elizabeth, by the wonderful author, E.L. Konigsburg. I enjoyed revisiting this classic with my two youngest children, and they both enjoyed it thoroughly, as well. A relatively quick and easy read, but well written and compelling. Certainly worthwhile.

92nd book read in 2017.

Number 421 out of 656 on my all time book list.

Odd story of misfits finding friendship in each other.

중반에 엘리자베스와 제니퍼가 마녀 놀이를 나름 진지하게 하는 부분도 꽤 흥미로왔지만
힐러리 에즈라 라는 이름의 두꺼비가 등장하고
마지막에 맥베쓰와 제니퍼의 경고가 맞아 떨어지는 부분..은 정말 어린이책 답지 않은 듯
이야기의 아귀가 딱 맞아 떨어지는 느낌이었다.
멕베스가 어떤 이야기일지 예전에 읽어보고도 기억이 가물거려서
이 책을 읽으며 궁금해졌지만 마지막에 맥베쓰의 이야기 구조를 빌려온 제니퍼의 경고가 해석되어지는 부분이 되니 맥베쓰도 대충 그런 이야기였겠거니 하며 안떠오르는 기억을 대충 얼버무릴만 하게 되었다.
재미있었다^^... 흑인 여자 아이인 제니퍼와 키작은 백인 아이 엘리자베스가 친구가 된 설정도 마음에 들고...
이런 단짝 친구가 있으면 정말 많은 친구가 있는 누구도 부럽지 않을터^^...
옛날 생각이 날것만 같다...
하기야 요즘도 초등학생이 되는 꿈을 꾸긴 하니까^^...
어렸을 때 이책을 읽었으면 어땠을까 싶기도 하다..
그런데 맥베쓰와 제니퍼의 해석이 맞아떨어지는 것을 엘리자베스가 발견하는 부분의 번역이 조금 미흡하다는 생각도 든다...(한글책도 중고로 구입해서 가지고 있었기에 읽어 보았다^^...)
번역 작가가 조금 바빠서 정신이 없었는지..아님 나름 무슨 뜻이 있었으려는지 모르겠다.
(혹시 이 정도 글이면 스포일러가 될지 잘 몰라서 그러는데...그럴 소지가 있거들랑 말씀해 주시면 수정하겠습니다^^;;~~~)

Very cute story about childhood loneliness and bravery of making a good friend. 5/5

Definitely an interesting read. I tagged it as both contemporary and historical as it's contemporary if you consider the year it was published and it's not fantasy, but historical because of the year I'm reading it in, it feels a little old fashioned since it was published in the 1960s. More review to come.

E.L. Konigsburg's (Atheneum, 1971) funny novel of two lonely girls receives an update in this narration by Carol J. Stewart. Stewart's soothing voice brings the story to life without belittling typical schoolgirl dilemmas. Elizabeth is new in town and having trouble making friends. When she meets Jennifer, things take a turn for the better. Jennifer claims to be a witch and she recruits Elizabeth as her apprentice. The girls communicate through notes and secret messages, which always appeal to this age group. As part of her apprenticeship, Elizabeth has to eat raw eggs, onions, spaghetti noodles and give up sweets for the holidays. There are also taboos for the girls to follow or face the consequences. During their weekly meetings and rituals they plan to invent a flying ointment. The two develop a special friendship as they spend time in the library researching the formula for this magical ointment. As in all friendships there must be some give and take, and Jennifer and Elizabeth soon discover theirs is no different. The satisfying ending will please anyone who has ever had a special friend. This recording will appeal to fans of Konigsburg and may win some new followers along the way. (froma Amazon)

I picked up this book because it had earned a Newbery Honor, and was written by the same author who wrote From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, a Newbery winner. The book was written in the 1960s, so there are some elements that are outdated, but a good story is a good story, and this one has passed the test of time.
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This is a middle-grade book told from the point of view of Elizabeth, an only child who is new to her apartment, awkward, and short. She meets a girl named Jennifer who is quite strange, claiming to be a witch. Throughout the novel, the reader is only given Elizabeth’s perspective, so we are always wondering whether Jennifer really is a witch. Certainly Elizabeth believes she is. Jennifer initiates Elizabeth into the world of witchcraft with a series of strange and coincidental requirements. One week she must consume raw eggs—something her mother is thrilled about because Elizabeth is a picky eater (remember, it was written in the 1960s). Another time, she is given a list of restrictions that prevent her from partaking in activities at a party but end up working in her favor. I won’t reveal the ending, or whether Jennifer really is a witch.
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What I enjoyed about the book was the voice. Elizabeth’s voice is genuine and honest. She is never trying to show off. As readers, we trust her immediately to tell her perception of the truth. The book only tells the important elements of the story, so I never felt like my time was being wasted. It’s a middle-grade book, so it’s meant for younger readers and therefore was a quick read for me. I read it in two sittings (it would have been one if I had more free time!). From a writer’s perspective, the book is a good study in the building of suspense from a subjective point of view. My least favorite element was the ending, which I feel wrapped up too quickly, but overall it was an enjoyable read. I missed reading it as a child, but it was definitely something I would have enjoyed—and read more than once.

I quite liked this book, which won a 1968 Newbery Honor, more so than the winner that year - which was also by the extremely talented and apparently very quick writer E.L. Konigsburg. I realize I'm probably very much in the minority, but I've never liked From the Mixed Up Files. It's been a number of years since I've read that one, so I'm not sure how they compare in being distinguished literature, but this one was, for me personally, more fun to read.

I would have realized it was from the sixties, even if I hadn't looked it up. There were some dated references. Only fathers have jobs. A kid dresses up as cigarettes for halloween. When a candy plant makes the air smell of mint, Elizabeth is excited that she can "pretend to be smoking a menthol cigarette." But while some of these small details are dated, the story, about a complex relationship between a somewhat lonely girl and a controlling friend. I liked that in the end it was clear that Elizabeth had taken a more equal role in the friendship, but that Jennifer was still Jennifer.

I especially liked the analogy where Elizabeth's father says that even though 98.6 is the "normal" temperature, many people are higher or lower than that, and then Elizabeth is proud that she's not 98.6.

I was surprised when I got to the Christmas show and Jennifer's mother was easily identified as being the only Black mother in the room. I was listening to an audiobook, so the illustrations had not told me that Jennifer was black. The implication is that she's the only black student in the entire school. I'm not sure what racial overtones that gives the story, where Jennifer's favorite food is watermelon, she says she's a witch, and is noted several times as having no manners. Does Elizabeth more readily believe that Jennifer really is a witch because she is an exotic Other in a school where she is the only black student?