Old Ladies with Brooms Aren't Always Witches by Paula Woolf

Twelve-year-old Sarah Jane has just moved to a Texas suburb from a small town in Georgia. She is nervous about attending a new school and misses her old friends. Her first new friend is Speck, who takes pride in introducing her to neighbors and classmates. However, Speck cautions her about one neighbor, the old woman who lives alone and almost never comes out of the corner house, the house with the green door. Avoid her! Speck doesn’t know the woman’s name, but he has heard much about her strange behavior and lifestyle.

Sarah Jane passes the house with the green door daily on her way to and from school. Although she is busy adjusting to her school and trying to “fit in,” she is drawn into the mystery of the house and the woman. Who is she? Why has she shut herself off from the outside world? Is she really someone to fear?

A Halloween prank brings Sarah face to face with the woman and the ultimate discovery that she is to be pitied rather than feared. After a series of visits behind the green door, each becoming less forced, Sarah Jane learns the tragic circumstances which have left the old woman bitter and isolated.

Sarah Jane’s efforts to befriend the woman are paralleled by her own efforts to make friends at school. The theme of friendship is further explored through a jealous classmate who accuses Sarah Jane of being a thief, the humorous attention-seeking antics of a five-year-old neighbor, and a cooperative baby-sitting venture that Sarah Jane masterminds.

Having experienced frustrations and rewards, the school year ends with Sarah Jane honored to represent her sixth grade class at the graduation ceremony. It is a very special night indeed, for as she finishes her speech and looks out across the audience, she sees an unexpected, smiling guest.

Paula Woolf resides with her family in Georgia.