Wintersmith

The central idea, the spirit of winter developing an awkward crush on a thirteen-year-old girl, is handled with great humour and delicacy. Pratchett uses it to explore growing up, responsibility and the difference between being admired and being respected. Tiffany's mixture of pride, embarrassment and determination feels very real.

Miss Treason is one of Pratchett's best creations, an ancient witch who keeps up a fearsome reputation through clever theatre, and her chapters are both funny and moving. Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg play important parts, and the Nac Mac Feegle are as chaotic as ever, especially when they try to help with Tiffany's love life.

The plot wanders a little in the middle, and readers new to the series should start with The Wee Free Men. Roland, a boy Tiffany knows, is a less vivid character than the witches. The climax and the gentle ending make up for any slow patches. The book also contains some of Pratchett's wisest writing about what witches really do, which is mostly looking after people who cannot look after themselves. Tiffany grows a great deal over its pages, and her final confrontation with winter is beautifully imagined. About 464 pages in the HarperTeen paperback; another listing gives 450.