Help me remember the name of this children’s book with only a couple of very vague plot points to go by....

[AngeloMysterioso]

I remember reading it when I was young so it won’t have been published before probably about 1999/2000.

There’s a witch, and the protagonist (who I think is a boy but I could be wrong) has to vanquish her somehow, and she can only use earth, air, fire and water as her weapons.
When it’s air, she creates this deafening, howling wind, and as soon as he steps outside to face her it stops and falls completely silent. I think he’s got someone helping and guiding him, possibly an old man.

I have a vague memory of the witch being called Morgan Le Fay and thought it might be Whispering Knights by Penelope Lively but the plot summary of that doesn’t really match up. I don’t think it’s an Arthurian story but I could be wrong.

Any ideas?

Is it The Dark Is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper?

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Is_Rising_Sequence

Is it The Ragwitch by Garth Nix? A ragdoll takes over a little girl and her brother has to save her. Long time since I've read it so memory is a bit fuzzy but the most recent review here suggests lots of elements stuff.

www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-ragwitch_garth-nix/1050615/#edition=2335296&idiq=9713288

I don’t think it’s either of those.

Should have made clearer, it’s the witch using the elements as weapons, not the hero.

Could it be The Sword in the Stone (TH White)?

The hounds of the Morrison by Pat O’Shea?

Morrigan, not Morrison!

Mary Stewart Merlin trilogy.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prince_and_the_Pilgrim Actually not part of merlin trilogy

Is it by Diana Wynne Jones?

No, I don’t think so. Sorry, I’m not being much help am I?

Aha! Is it Beaver Towers, or the Beaver Towers series by Nigel Hinton?

Hilarious if so, because a year or two ago I posted on MN with vague memories of a book about a beaver and a boy and lobster pots that I'd been trying to work out for literally years what it was, and MN came up with the answer instantly.

@piglet81 - thank you! I know it isn’t my thread but every time a thread comes up about remembering a children’s book I hope to find the exact book you have linked to! I have only the vaguest memories of it so couldn’t post my own thread. Thank you! (Sorry no use to you op!)

Thought immediately of the Sabriel/Lirael/Abhorsen books by Garth Nix, though not convinced it’s a good suggestion.

If the witch was Morgan le Fay, maybe looking at the relevant publication years on this list might help? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_le_Fay_in_modern_culture (I haven't read any of the listed children's books from that time myself so can't guess based on plot, but maybe a title will seem familiar!)

ah, shame, I thought it might be The Merlin conspiracy.

Do you know, I think @HyggeTygge might have it. I think I got it slightly mixed with Whispering Knight which is where the Morgan Le Fay thing came in, but certainly the plot and the cover of Beaver Towers are ringing a lot of bells...

I'd say Beaver Towers. I can't remember if it's the first or second in the series where she uses the elements.

Do you remember the hedgehogs
Mick, Ann, Nick... The Mechanics?

I've only got Run to Beaver Towers, which is the third one. The blurb at the back suggests it's The Witch's Revenge (second one) that uses the elements. The witch is called Oyin. (see pictures).

Reading them as an adult you may find they're not as thrilling as you remember!