Charles Synyard (@CharlesSynyard)

1/4 “Bounding onto the stage, she took a moment to ready herself, concentrating on her character, her body, her voice. Then she began. “‘Double, double, toil and trouble’—it was the old-hag voice she had perfected in the privacy of her own bedroom— ‘Fire burn and caldron bubble.’ “A murmur ran through the auditorium. Beth glanced out at the faces before her. They were smiling and listening intently. Her heart soared. They were with her. “‘Cool it with a baboon’s blood, then the charm is firm and good.’ ”Beth knew she was doing a good job. She spoke the lines slowly, deliberately, knowing what they meant, knowing how to emphasize the important words. She spoke as if she were really a witch, an ugly, ancient witch, standing over a boiling pot of steamy brew, casting a spooky Halloween spell. ”’The show today—‘ “Suddenly from backstage came a thunderous crash, followed by a bloodcurdling scream.” (9) So goes Beth’s audition for the Halloween show! Has the curse of Macbeth come to Wakeman “Wacko” Junior High? Probably not—but some subtle magic is afoot here. The Witches of Wakeman, the October 1990 twentieth book in the Fabulous Five series by Betsy Haynes, marks a timeskip in the series. For those keeping track, football season is over and done with, Christmas came and went, warmer spring weather was in evidence… and Halloween is now approaching, and Jana Morgan, Beth Barry, Melanie Edwards, Katie Shannon, and Christie Winchell are still in seventh grade. What is going on? Of course, Haynes and her publishers at Bantam Skylark wanted the successful girls’ series to go on, but without the girls entering the eighth grade, and so, they quietly did a timeskip. They are back in the fall now, during the timeframe one of the other of their adventures (which each took up roughly two weeks), and the author at least omits the references to events from the earlier books that has usually cluttered the pages before, with the exception of Beth having already acted in Ronnie and Julie (1-2), which was in the tenth book, Playing the Part. The emcees’ speech is inspired by the famous speech from Macbeth Act IV. I wonder how many readers would realize that between “Double, double,“ and “baboon’s blood”, some of ingredients the original recipe calls for are “liver of blaspheming Jew“, “nose of Turk, and Tartar’s lips”? Anyway, Beth has the rotating spotlight this time, and aims at a leading part in another performance. And, of course, this wouldn’t be middle school drama without Laura McCall, the leader of the Fantastic Foursome, the rival seventh grade girls’ clique at Wakeman, also seeking a big role. A blonde already with a nice bust, rated a 10 by a couple of ninth graders in the first book, Laura is well versed in feminine charm. “Laura was methodically undoing the long braid that started at the top of her head and fell over one shoulder. The braid was her trademark, and she switched it like a cat’s tail when she was angry.” (4) “Laura stood up, smiling sweetly at Mr. Levine. “Beth leaned over to Christie. ‘Couldn’t you just barf?’ she whispered.” (7) “Laura ruffled up her unbraided hair, allowing several strands to fall across her face and across her eyes… “‘Behind her [Beth] heard Katie say, ‘That was acting? All she did was mess up her hair, and she even used her normal voice.’” (7-8) Whether these gimmicks had the least effect on Mr. Levine, Wacko’s typically-named drama teacher, is open to doubt. There were only three witch emcee roles, and after the “curse” incidents began Alexis Duvall dropped out, leaving only three applicants for three spots. On the cover by Andrew Bacha, Laura returns looking much as she did on the fifth book, The Bragging War, when Ralph Amatrudi was still doing the art. Beth looks oddly puffy, and for the first time, they’re joined by the series’s token Black girl, Dekeisha Adams (she was named Darcy Holyfield in the Taffy Sinclair books, but got the more ghetto name for the Fabulous Five). I love this cover art, but as usual there is a small inconsistency: the three branches they stir the caldron with were “stripped of leaves and twigs,” (36). Before long, the beautiful magic wand Laura uses (she is double cast as the good witch in The Wizard of Oz) disappears, she blames Beth, Beth suspects Laura took it to blame her, and a newly-introduced practiced theater girl, Molly McHugh, is shouting, “It’s the Macbeth curse! I just realized it! The witches said the ‘Double, double’ speech and now another bad thing has happened,” (38-39). Hmm, a new character who spends time backstage, and so is out of the limelight, promotes a superstitious interpretation? I sure knew what I thought had happened, and was eagerly awaiting revelation of the motive! But Haynes succeeded in throwing me off. Another new character, Paul Smoke, does an act of pulling a bat (one of his three pet bats, Batman, Robin, and Shirley, the last named for his sister!) out of a hat, and his critter also stays backstage during most of the show (44-45). It takes some time before Beth’s Fabulous Five friends resolve to do a stakeout, staying hidden backstage to find out what’s causing the mishaps (107). While the next entry in the series will be the twenty-first book, Jana to the Rescue, am already looking forward to a super-cute-looking “peripheral”, a bonus story that was retailed in the 1990 holiday season… in a package along with Petite Naté Spray-On Soft Cologne! The slim volume also features a story in the Saddle Club series by Bonnie Bryant. As if the series didn’t have enough cooties already! Any boy hoping to read it when it was released would have to have gotten the girl’s cologne too! I am sure few were brave enough, but maybe one or two made a re-gift of it to their sisters. Thankfully, now I was just able to order the book separately. But the marketing says something funny and adorable about the readership. I can imagine all the small readers, smugly grinning as they devoured this series, because they, too, were ready for all that mature junior high boy drama. But then, the mask drops, and they bolt for these Petite Naté products, including “bubbles and shampoo to turn your bath into an adventure”! Back to being little kids who want to play games in the bath. Next, will discuss the amusing and somewhat eye-rolling treatment of the superstitions of the stage. #BetsyHaynes #TheWitchesOfWakeman #FabulousFive #timeskip #Macbeth #DoubleDoubleToilAndTrouble #witches #superstition #acting #theater #bats #PetiteNate #cosmetics #cologne #bubblebath #childrensliterature #childrensbooks #literature #books