I read this book as a child and wanted to introduce it to the kids in my creative writing class as an example of a strong fantasy novel from before their time. I was amused to show them that Rowling hadn't actually invented the word "Muggles" (it's the name of the main character in "The Gammage Cup"). What I did find surprising is that many of my students found this book a difficult read and were confused about many different aspects of the story. I think part of the problem is that the characters in this book do not paint strong visuals in the minds of modern readers. I find many of my students live in a highly-visualized world; perhaps this is a case of their imaginations not being so active or strong as the children in author Carol Kendall's day (or for that matter, mine), but nonetheless, perhaps this book would benefit from stronger illustrations that help represent the otherwise well-conceived characters. I recommend this book for those readers with strong vocabularies and big appetites for fantasy worlds.