Anglican Church Grammar School in East Brisbane joined Good Reading and Simon & Schuster publishers to provide early pre-published copies to their students of Diary of a Wicked Witch by Ben Miller.

Here are their reviews!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Once upon a time was only the start . . . welcome to the Fairytale Woods. The wicked witch is on trial in a hilarious secret diary from million-copy bestselling author, comedian and actor Ben Miller.

The wicked witch has gone one cackle too far and is faced with a choice: a four week wickedness management class, or a lifetime in jail.

Spending all her time with stuck-up witches and her ex-best friend, now a total goody two-shoes, leading the course isn’t Wendoline’s idea of a good time, but she’ll do anything it takes to get her powers back. Even with a pompous king and queen to impress, a smarmy Prince Charming to prove wrong, and her own daughter, Rapunzel, to win over, Wendoline is not buying into the whole using magic for good thing, not when being WICKED is just so much FUN.

There’s potions, curses, and a whole heap of trouble to miss out on . . . with 100% wickedness guaranteed, what could possibly go wrong?

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Arlo:

Diary of a Wicked Witch was a funny and exciting book in which the wicked witch, Wendoline, gets caught by Prince Charming and is sent to court, where Wendoline’s old friend Agatha comes in and proclaims that she will make Wendoline and three other witches, Baba Yaga, Celia, and Gertrude, good and kind with their magic. Can Wendoline feel good about being good?

Star rating: 4/5

Harvey, Year 5:

I would give Diary of a Wicked Witch 5 stars. I love the spin on common fairytales and telling the story of the villain. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and for fantasy and magic lovers!

Star rating: 5/5

Henry, Year 4:

I really found the part when Celia sends a giant swordfish into the darkness of Baba Yaga’s hood the most fascinating out of the whole book. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, as I actually find it interesting because it was easy for me to picture in my head. And I hope you make some books about Agatha, Celia, Baba Yaga and Gertrude.

Star rating: 4.5/5

Joshua, Year 5:

The book was very good; it had a very funny story and very funny characters. I look forward to reading the sequels to this book. I didn’t enjoy how a character turned herself (and others) in to the police. I loved it, and give 4.75 stars out of 5 to Diary of a Wicked Witch.

Star rating: 4.75/5

Jayden, Year 5:

I like the book because it is very interesting. The bad part is that it ended!

Last of all, I would like to read more of these titles.

Star rating: 4.5/5

Edward, Year 4:

I think it is a good book for young children to read.

It is quite funny in the end when Rapunzel traps Prince (un)Charming in the tower. It is smart to use other witches from fairy tales. Overall, I think it is a good book.

Star rating: 4.5/5

Connor, Year 5:

I think that Diary of a Wicked Witch is an amazing book. There is always humour nearly on every page. It’s very hard to stop reading because you never want to; that’s because there is always something exciting happening on every page.

This book is about a wicked witch, and her challenge is to be good for four whole weeks, or she is going to jail for ever. The funniest part for me was at the very end where you see an arrogant guy trapped in the tower, instead of Rapunzel.

William, Year 6:

I thought the book was rather intriguing with themes of redemption, second chances and that nobody’s perfect. I rather liked the story and enjoyed how the author mixed these important life lessons with a fantasy element, putting together stories we all know, as kids, to keep us interested. I would probably rate it a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars, purely because some older audiences might not enjoy the story as much as others would. To sum it up it was a really good book that most audiences would enjoy.

Star rating: 4.5/5

Sidharth, Year 5:

The book was very nice. Written as the Wicked Witch, Ben Miller has created a world of imagination suitable for any eight-year-old. Also, Elisa Paganelli has illustrated pictures that evidently show what the author is talking about. It makes the book more lively. Although there are some things I would add to it, such as the prince really getting cursed.

Star rating: 4.5/5

Tom, Year 5:

I think the book The Diary of a Wicked Witch is a fun book with many morals, such as you can change from good to evil, and actions have consequences. I would rate it 4.2 stars because it is an interesting book and tells us messages, but it is a bit hard to follow because of the variety of fonts and a mix of upper- and lower-case letters. I would recommend this book to 8- to 10-year-olds because the vocabulary is not hard and it is an enjoyable fiction story. People who like fairytales and stories with morals may also enjoy reading this book.

This book has humour and leaves you with some questions, so the reader wants to read the next book. The main character, Wendoline, is a witch who doesn’t want to change her ways, but after learning valuable lessons, she figures out a way to be wicked, but not be thrown in jail again.

This book was very educational and humorous.

Star rating: 4.2/5

Archie, Year 5:

I would rate Diary of a Wicked Witch 4 stars. It was ridiculously funny, like a Roald Dhal book. It had a good story line and an excellent execution. It hooked me in easily and is perfect for children who want an easy read. Parents and grandparents could read it with their children, having a chuckle or a hearty laugh here and there. The story itself is amazing. Wendoline goes around being evil, hexing everyone, and then gets caught. What will happen? Will she go to jail, or will she escape? You won’t be able to stop laughing at some points. If you try to hold back a giggle, you will fail.

I highly recommend you read it.

Star rating: 4/5

Jackson, Year 6:

Diary of a Wicked Witch is a fun book, with twists and turns during the storyline. The main character, Wendoline, did some things I didn’t expect, like change the day from gloomy to bright and beautiful. I also didn’t think she would survive a month without using magic to harm people, but she pushed through. Ben Miller’s has done a brilliant job.

Star rating: 4

Cooper, Year 6:

The Diary of a Wicked Witch was quite good. It was humorous and well written. It was quite creative, combining different fantasy stories in one, somehow making the different stories fit as one. It is more orientated to young readers, so I would recommend it to people 8-10 years old. Overall, it was an enjoyable book and something I’ll come back to read now and then.

Star rating: 4/5

Aran, Year 6:

I think the book was interesting with many diverse names and places. It interested me because of the twisted-up stories from the many fairytales that it referenced. Some readers will also know these fairytales through movies which have been made of them, too.

I think it is a good book about the grumpy witch.

Star rating: 4/5

Joe, Year 5:

This book is very, very, very, very, totally awesome, and I would recommend it to those who have probably heard of the fairytales behind this novel. There’s a lot of action (and unpredictable humour) which makes this book probably the best diary-based book I’ve read. Honestly, I am not sure which genre to put this in, as it belongs equally in humour and fantasy.

Star rating: 4.5/5

Marcus N, Year 6:

Every page was filled with excitement and thrills. The story was very carefully planned and well written. The only fault of this book is that it was too short, because I wanted to keep reading it!

Star rating: 4.5/5

Erik, Year 5:

Diary of a Wicked Witch is a hilarious book by Ben Miller, perfect for a short laugh-out-loud read. It chronicles the life of Wendoline, a wicked witch and mother of Rapunzel. Wendoline had always thought wickedness was her perfect niche, but after taking a wickedness management course, she finds out that doing good… feels good. Can she change, or are some witches born to be wicked? Ben Miller takes a young reader into a witty, light-hearted adventure of Wendoline’s mischief. Through an easy to understand writing style, Miller kindles a young reader’s imagination and takes you on a journey through the life and feelings of Wendoline.

Star rating: 4.5/5

Marcus L, Year 5:

Diary of a Wicked Witch by Ben Miller is a hilarious and imaginative story about a witch named Wendoline, who gets punished by the King and the Queen for locking her daughter, Rapunzel, in a tower. Sent to the Wickedness Management Course, she meets Agatha, Gertrude, Celia, and Baba Yaga, and together they experience many magical twists and laugh-out-loud adventures. I loved how the book turned fairytale ideas upside down and taught gentle lessons about kindness and being true to yourself. It was so funny and creative that I read it three times in a row!

I highly recommend it to anyone aged 8-12 who enjoys clearly written, feel-good stories, filled with magic and mischief.

Rating: 5/5

Jai, Year 6:

I loved this book! It was a nearly perfect mix of all the wicked witches from all the fairytales. My favourite was Baba Yaga! I also loved how laidback the king and queen were, wanting to go for a scalp massage and a weekly anniversary. This amazing diary also shows how everyone, even someone as wicked as Wendoline, could turn into a good witch. It is a very important lesson for everybody. Nothing is impossible!

Star rating: None provided

Matti, Year 6:

After reading the book, I would like to give it 3.5 stars. The book was funny and well written, the only reason I didn’t rate it higher was because it was for younger audiences. For the people it is designed for, it does its job perfectly.

Star rating: 3.5/5

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Read an extract from
Diary of a Wicked Witch
by Ben Miller

Read an extract from
The Night We Got Stuck in a Story
by Ben Miller

Read an interview with
Ben Miller about his fairytale mash-up,
Diary of a Big Bad Wolf

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ben Miller is the bestselling author of magical stories for the whole family: The Night I Met Father Christmas, The Boy Who Made the World Disappear, The Day I Fell into a Fairytale, How I Became a Dog Called Midnight, The Night We Got Stuck in a Story, Once Upon a Legend, Diary of a Big Bad Wolf, Diary of a Puss in Boots, Diary of a Christmas Elf, Secrets of a Christmas Elf, Adventures of a Christmas Elf, and Robin Hood Aged 10 3/4.

He is an actor, director, and comedian, best known for The Armstrong & Miller Show, the Johnny English and Paddington films, BBC’s Death in Paradise, and Netflix smash Bridgerton.

Follow Ben Miller on Instagram