Once a Witch

Common Sense Media says

Mildly bewitching with strong female characters.

Age(i)

2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17

Quality(i)

 
(i)
Buy
Write a review
See all 5 user reviews

What parents need to know

Educational value
Not applicable
Positive messages

Families stick together; girls are smart and strong; it's OK to be different even if you're a witch.

Positive role models

Tamsin pretends to be her older sister but gets into trouble doing it. She lies by omission and breaks some family rules while she is trying to save her family from rival witches who are evil. Her grandmother is the head of the family; all the females seem to have more powers and more intelligence.

Violence

Some danger, implied violence. Fireballs burn a character's hands, a witch under a spell is compelled to cut herself and fill a cup with blood.

Sex

Some kissing; mild flirtation

Language

Mild usage of the words "hell" and "s--t."

Consumerism
Not applicable
Drinking, drugs, & smoking

Tamsin smokes cigarettes; her roommate drinks alcohol heavily.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know this book is a fairly conventional portrayal of witches -- they fled Europe because of persecution, they observe Samhain and practice ancient rituals under the moon. The teen smoking and drinking is gratuitous, and the romance is gentle. This is a slight fantasy with strong female characters.

Parents say

See 2 parent reviews
AGE
11
QUALITY
 
Review this title!

Kids say

See 3 kid reviews
AGE
13
QUALITY
 
Review this title!

What's the story?

Tamsin is a 17-year-old witch who has grown up in the shadow of her talented older sister. She believes she has no magical talents at all until a handsome young professor convinces her to try harder to develop her powers. But her attempts put her and her family in danger. With the help of time travel Tamsin's family works together to rescue each other and Tamsin discovers just how powerful a witch she really is.

Is it any good?

QUALITY
 

Despite gratuitous drinking and smoking, this is an amusing coming-of-age story with some traditional witchcraft thrown in. Stock characters are made more agreeable by the humorous banter between Tamsin and her childhood friend and love interest Gabriel. Tamsin's self-doubts will ring true with teens, especially those with older siblings.

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about  whether witches exist (ed) and why they were persecuted? 

  • Should Tamsin's family have hidden the truth from Tamsin?

  • Why did Tamsin pretend to be her older sister?

Book details

Author:Carolyn MacCullough
Genre:Coming of Age
Topics:Magic and fantasy
Book type:Fiction
Publisher:Clarion Books
Publication date:September 14, 2009
Number of pages:304
Publisher's recommended age(s):12 - 17
Read aloud:12
Read alone:14

This review of Once a Witch was written by

Debra Bogart

About our rating system

  • ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
  • PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
  • OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
  • NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids of any age.

Find out more

Quality

Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Learning ratings

  • Best: Really engaging, great learning approach.
  • Very Good: Engaging, good learning approach.
  • Good: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
  • Fair: Somewhat engaging, okay learning approach.
  • Not for Learning: Not recommended for learning.
  • Not for Kids: Not age-appropriate for kids; not recommended for learning.

Find out more

About our buy links

When you use our links to make a purchase, Common Sense Media earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes. As a nonprofit organization, these funds help us continue providing independent, ad-free services for educators, families, and kids while the price you pay remains the same. Thank you for your support.
Read more

See more about how we rate and review.

Great handpicked alternatives

For kids who love fantasy reads

Books About Magic
See all recommended book lists

Browse more books

Top advice and articles

What parents and kids say

See all user reviews

Share your thoughts with other parents and kids Write a user review

A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines

Parent of a 14 year old Written bywitchluvr October 7, 2009
AGE
10
QUALITY
 

Perfect Book!

Love this so much. Really shows that portraying somebody else when it is not appropriate is not ok. It is really enjoyable read!
What other families should know
Great messages
Was this review useful?
Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 12 years old December 29, 2010
AGE
12
QUALITY
 

OK

It was OK, but it got a bit boring and confusing at times. A couple of curse words.
What other families should know
Too much swearing
Was this review useful?
Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 12 years old March 25, 2011
AGE
13
QUALITY
 

12+ if mature. great read for fun

awsome book it gets a little iffy between tamsin and gabriel. i read it before my mom and she just finished it but we both think it is a great read. to much drugs and alchohol
What other families should know
Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Was this review useful?
Flag as inappropriate 

See all user reviewsWrite a user review

Poll

Did our review help you make an informed decision about this product?

Poll

What are the different ways that you access Common Sense Media ratings and information? (Check all that apply)

Essential Apps Guide