Wizards of Waverly Place (Television)

Episode titled: Smarty Pants

Season 2, episode 1.

Disney Channel original series.

Starring:
Selena Gomez, David Henrie, Jake T. Austin, Jennifer Stone, Maria Canals Barrera, David Deluise.

Plot: The episode opens with the wizards getting a lesson on Wizard Wear. Smarty pants give the person wearing them super knowledge on everything, but there are side effects if you wear them too long. At school Alex agrees to help set up for the Quiz Bowl so that she can talk to Dean. Her friend Harper is on the girl's team of the Quiz Bowl, and after one of her team members gets shocked by electicity, thanks to Alex for setting up the wiring to the buzzers wrong, Alex joins to help her friend out. Only problem is Alex isn't book smart. She decides to wear the Smarty Pants and ansers all the questions during the first round at the Quiz Bowl. Harper gets upset, so Alex takes the pants off, but she left them on too long and now she has skeleton legs. She leaves embarrassed and Harper goes on to win for the girl's side. Luckily everyone will think Alex was only wearing skeleton tights.

Genre: Fantasy

Interest level: ages 8-12

Subjects/themes: wizards, magic, friendship, family.

Awards:

• 2009 Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards for Favorite TV Actress - Selena Gomez
• 2009 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Children's Programming
• 2009 Alma Award for Special Achievement Comedy Television Actress- Selena Gomez
• 2010 Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards for Favorite TV Actress- Selena Gomez
• 2010 Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress Comedy- Selena Gomez

The Witches (Film)

(1990). The Witches. Warner Bros.

Based on the book The Witches by Roald Dahl.

Directed by: Nicolas Roeg

Starring:

Anjelica Huston as the Grand High Witch
Jasen Fisher as Luke
Mai Zetterling as Grandma
Charles Potter as Bruno

Running time: 91 minutes

Plot: After the death of his parents, Luke and his grandmother move to England and she explains to him all about witches and how to spot them. She tells him of all the children she knows of who have mysteriously disappeared because of witches. Witches hate children. Look for purple eyes, gloved hands, itchy scalps, square feet with no toes. When Luke's grandma falls ill, she is advised to spend some time by the sea, so the two go stay at a fancy hotel. It just so happens that the annual witch convention is being held at the same htoel. Luke finds out too late and gets turned into a mouse, along with another boy named Bruno. Before he was turned into a mouse, Luke overheard the Grand High Witches plans for the witches of England to turn all the children into mice by putting a potion into chocolates. Luke must find his grandma and stop the witches!

Genre: Fantasy

Interest level: Ages 9 & up

Subjects/themes: witches, loss, family, England, fantasy. 

Kiki's Delivery Service (Film)

(1989). Kiki's Delivery Service. Studio Ghibli and Disney.

Directed by : Hayao Miyazaki.

Starring:
Kirsten Dunst as Kiki
Phil Hartman as Jiji
Janeane Garofalo as Ursula
Tress MacNeille as Osono
Matthew Lawrence as Tombo

Plot: 13 year old Kiki is a witch in training. It is customary for witches to go off on their own for a year when they are 13 years old, so Kiki takes her black cat, Jiji, with her on her journey. They settle in a little seaside town, but people aren't so friendly. Kiki befriends a baker's wife named Osono after she delivers a baby's pacifier to one of her customers on her broomstick. Osono lets Kiki and Jiji stay in her attic and helps her start her delivery service. A boy named Tombo likes Kiki and thinks she is a cool witch, making many attempts at friendship with her. Kiki experiences some setbacks, like when she starts to lose her flying ability. In the end Kiki regains her abilities when she believes in herself and saves the life of her friend Tombo.

Genre: Anime Film

Interest level: Ages 9 & up

Subjects/themes: witches, growing up, believe in yourself, friendship.

Awards:

• 1990 Kinemi Junpo Awards- Readers Choice for Best Japanese Film Director- Hayoa Miyazaki
• 1990 Mainichi Film Concours - Best Animated Film

The Witches

Dahl, R. (1999). The Witches. Turtleback Books. Illustrated by Quentin Blake.

Plot: A young boy who has recently lost his parents is living in England with his Norwegian grandmother. She is an expert on witches, and teaches him how to look out for them. On a vacation at a hotel they find themselves among hundreds of witches, for they are having their annual convention at the same hotel! The young boy finds himself locked in the same room with these witches, they turn him into a mouse and he must get to his grandmother because the witches are plotting to turn all the children in England into mice!

Genre: Humor, Fantasy

Subjects/themes: witches, death, magic, family

Suggested reading level: Grades 4-6

Other Books by Roald Dahl:

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• The BFG
• Matilda
• Fantastic Mr. Fox

Annotation: Do you know how to spot a witch? They aren't easily recognizable. They could be any woman, your next door neighbor, the woman walking across the street, your teacher even. There are witches everywhere, and if you want to be prepared (and I think you should be) then you will want to read this book!