Thin paperback book about a boy and his friend (a girl) who meet a woman in their community who is very mysterious. When her hair floats, magic is happening. Her name may have started with an M. She helps the boy who we find at the end had some family tragedy that he was blocking out. The woman helps him fly. She shows up when he needs her but sometimes he can’t find her.
Cover may have had a picture of the woman with her floating hair. It was probably published in the 60’s or 70’s and it might have been British.
This reminds me of the “Melinda and Timothy” books by Margaret Storey. I read these books – they are definitely British. There is a Gray Witch, who I think is the villain. Seem to be mostly out-of-print. Neil Gaiman is a fan.
From Wikipedia:
Her work includes a series based on the adventures of two children, Timothy and Ellen, and a witch named Melinda Farbright: “the real thing – strange and magical, and above all, dangerous”[1] This series includes the following works:
Timothy and Two Witches
The Stone Wizard aka “The Stone Sorcerer”
The Dragon’s Sister and Timothy Travels
A Quarrel of Witches
The Sleeping Witch
A War of Wizards (1976)
The Double Wizard
Oh my goodness! I think this might be it! I also remembered the boy and girl going to a cabin in the woods that had chicken legs (baba yaga) and it seems that something was wrong with the boys mother. I’m going to google the books you named.
This is it!!! Thank you, Thank you! I’m ordering them now. I can’t wait to read them again!