Jazzy comes from a long line of witches who make the brooms that all of them ride. But Jazzy is different. She’s not excited about learning magic spells or about learning to ride a broom. It’s not until Jazzy sees her first bicycle that she finds her passion. Soon she is zipping around secretly on a bicycle that she made with the help of her best friend and Fiona, her pet bat. As Jazzy gets more and more focused on cycling, her friendship starts to fall apart along with her school work. When a broom riding performance is announced, Jazzy must find a way not to embarrass her entire family since she can’t ride a broom yet.
Bagley has created a marvelous witchy world in this graphic novel for elementary-aged readers. The diverse characters, include Jazzy’s family of Black queer women. With the focus on witch traditions vs. human bicycles, readers get to explore what being different from your family and community feels like and how telling the truth is a way to move forward and find acceptance. The art is funny, action-filled and fully depicts the community of witches.
A non-scary witch book that’s worth a ride. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
Anderson Hall is a retirement home for witches. Each of the retired witches and their familiars were known for different things, potions or astrology or gardening. Myrtle had been known as a champion broom rider. But when a boy comes to Anderson Hall and asks for Myrtle’s help in finding his missing guinea pig, Myrtle doubts that she can be of any help. It has been a long time since she used spells or rode a broom. With encouragement from her familiar, a pet toad who used to be a mailman, the boy and the other retired witches, Myrtle decides to try to help. It may take a few attempts to get off the ground though.
This early chapter book is a joy. It captures the hesitation of trying something new and taking risks combined with the joy of helping others. The rich witch retirement community is warmly rendered and distinctly and delightfully witchy despite their retirement. The text is approachable and the story moves quickly. The book has full-color illustrations that support the text and contribute to the cozy whimsy of the tale.
A magical read for the autumn season and beyond. Appropriate for ages 5-8.
Verity is a young witch in the middle of her witch training where she has left home and spends each year in a new place. She is just ending a lovely year living near a bakery when a leaf appears to beckon her to her new assignment. Foxfire is a village separated from the world since their bridge was destroyed, leaving them isolated. To make it worse, there is a creature who has laid a curse upon them, ruining their crops, leaving them hungry and desperate. It is into this village that Verity arrives. Her magic will not be trusted to be helpful and she must find ways to take on the creature ruling over the town who continues to make deals with villagers where they often never return.
There are so many witch books, so please don’t assume this is just another one that you’ve read before. Martin has created a witch who has real power, real duties to service and a connection to the natural world that reads with such deep roots that it will echo in your bones. His story is marvelously complex both in the characters and their motivations and in the magical structures he employs. Nothing is simple for the reader or Verity in Foxfire, which is challenging and delightful. Add in a touch of romance and this is fire.
Impossible to put down, this is one of the best teen witch books out there. Appropriate for ages 12-18.
Evelyn wakes up one morning with a feeling that she is missing something. It’s not her pumpkins or her potions, but it might just be a pet! However, she doesn’t have enough money for a pet of her choice and has to settle for the discounted mystery pet box. Inside is an egg. Now, Evelyn isn’t very patient, so she sets out to use her magic to hatch the egg. However, she also doesn’t know what hatches from eggs. Perhaps a unicorn? A narwhal? A porcupine? When nothing works, she decides to just be patient and take the best care of her egg. But what could be inside? A book that looks at patience through a wonderfully witchy lens. This picture book has a delight of a mystery at its center that will entice children to find out what in the world is in that egg.
A great Halloween read aloud without any scares. Appropriate for ages 3-6.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Roaring Brook Press.
The young narrator of this picture book has been a bunny for Halloween and a mouse the year before that. In fact, every year, she has been entirely adorable for Halloween. But this is the year that all changes and she dresses up as a witch. She’s been preparing by growing out her hair, making accessories, and preparing for her witch’s brew. But when she is finally ready and in her costume, she’s a bit more witchy than she can handle! With a little help from her father, she embraces her pointed hat, witchy robe and dark side.
Abbott has created a funny and smart book about the immense decision of what costume to wear at Halloween and how regrets can set in at the last minute. Children will recognize the joy at embracing a new character, the build up to the holiday and the rush of feelings as it all starts. The illustrations add to the pleasure of the book with their vibrant Halloween colors as they capture the little girl’s emotions clearly.
A non-scary Halloween book just right to share aloud. Appropriate for ages 3-6.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Atheneum.
Witch Cat by Lucy Rowland, illustrated by Laura Hughes (9781547616718)
Pippin has always loved being a witch’s cat, but then he starts to long for something different. When he discovers a pirate ship about to leave, he is invited to join the crew and solve their mouse issues. But the sea is not the right place for seasick Pippin and he quickly leaves them at the first island they visit. It’s there that he considers very briefly being a knight’s cat but the local dragon keeps him moving. Perhaps being a pet? A cowboy’s cat? Nothing quite seems right, until he sees a rather witchy broom. But how is Pippin to find his way back home? This picture book is told in rhymes with just the right mix of Halloween and humor.
Great for sharing aloud and full of fall fun. Appropriate for ages 3-6.
Reviewed from copy provided by Bloomsbury Children’s Books.
Addie is neurodivergent just like her older sister. She has had good luck with teachers at school until she gets Ms. Murphy, who clearly doesn’t appreciate having Addie in her class. Meanwhile, Addie’s previous best friend has found someone else to be friends with, a girl that bullies Addie constantly. The new girl in class though clearly wants to be Addie’s friend and is also willing to stand up and defend her. As Addie navigates friendship and school, she learns of her village’s history of witch trials and the women who were killed. She is determined to have a memorial created for the women who were killed, many of whom were likely different from the norm, just like Addie and her sister.
Written by a neurodivergent author, this middle grade novel won the Peter Blue Book Award for Best Story of the Year. It is clear to see why. This portrayal of being autistic is filled with compassion and empathy, but also doesn’t apologize for being different instead pointing out how important different perspectives and voices are. Written in the first person from Addie’s point of view, readers get to understand how it feels to need to control autistic behaviors and the toll it takes.
Addie explains directly how it feels to be autistic, how it is to have to suppress stimulation behaviors, and what having a meltdown feels like to the person having one. This book offers everyone a way to see underneath autistic presentation to the person underneath who has so much to say and contribute. This is done simply by allowing us inside Addie to deeply understand her as a human.
A compelling look inside autism and activism. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Crown Books for Young Readers.
Garlic works at the farm market with the other living vegetables brought to life by the witch. Garlic tends to stressed and anxious, and is even more so when she accidentally sleeps in again on market day. The next day, the witch encourages Garlic to try using some magic to get her garlic to grow, encouraging Garlic to look beyond helping her in the garden too. But Garlic doesn’t want adventures at all, she’s much happier staying on the farm. So when a vampire moves into the abandoned castle nearby, it seems that Garlic is exactly the right one to send to get rid of him. After all, vampires can’t abide garlic.
This debut graphic novel for children is a look at anxiety and stress, all in one garlicky wrapper. With one bully on the farm to contend with, Garlic can’t seem to see the kindness of the others around her, instead getting fretful, sleeping too much, and doubting her own abilities. When she is sent on her mission, she finds her footing and eventually takes care of it in her own special way, making the ending satisfying on multiple levels.
The art style is unique and is something that will draw readers into the story. It has a great vintage feel to it from the classic vampire to the vegetables themselves. The humanoid veggies are marvelous characters, their emotions clear on both their faces and in their body language. The book plays characters that one might be afraid of against their tropes, showing dimensions to them in inventive ways both in the storyline and in the images.
A cozy graphic novel full of witches and vampires. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Quill Tree Books.
Felicity is returning to Dalloway School after the tragic death of her girlfriend ended her previous senior year early. But it’s not easy to return to the ivy-covered school that is filled with dark legends that Felicity finds herself drawn to. The early days of the school date to the witch trials and five Dalloway students died early in the schools history, their deaths filled with connections to witchcraft. As Felicity starts her senior year again, she meets a compelling new student, a young novelist who is working on her second book. When Ellis reveals her book is going to be about the Dalloway Five, Felicity agrees to help her with her research. As the two research documents, they also form their own coven and begin to explore the occult. There is so much history filled with questions, and that includes the death of Felicity’s girlfriend a year ago too.
This book is beautiful and delicious. I love that it has its own distinct vintage style too, combining elbow patches and fifties sweaters with cell phones. The witch elements of the story are an invigorating mix of real history with existing covens but also may be covering up more realistic reasons for the deaths of the five girls. The setting itself is marvelously isolated and allows the characters a lot of freedom. These are wealthy girls, who flaunt their privilege at times and deny it at others.
The book is layered and complex. It turns from being a gothic, vintage witchcraft tale to something even darker. As Felicity’s mental health destabilizes, the truth emerges in fits and starts. The book becomes far more about the power of young women, the way society has frowned upon them gaining agency in the world, and what that means today. Beautifully, that doesn’t mean that the bloody nature of the book goes away. Far from it.
Dark, dangerous and delightful. Appropriate for ages 14-18.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Delacorte Press.
Dragoslava is a kid and also a vampire. Born in 1460, Drago has seen a lot of Halloweens and history. They live with their two best friends Eztli and Quintus who are also vampires. Long ago, Drago made a witch angry and now has been cursed to be her servant. When she calls on them to retrieve her grimoire, Drago has to set off on the quest to Baneberry Falls. As the three little vampires reach the Midwest, it’s Halloween, a holiday that they excel at since they don’t need costumes. Plus they get to scare some of the older bullies who are out stealing candy. The three friends reach a creepy mansion, perfect for the local witch to live in. But it turns out that she lives with a vampire too. Now they just have to figure out who took the grimoire, who to trust, and who is out to get them.
This graphic novel is full of humor and just enough blood to be spooky but not frightening. The dynamic mix of witches and vampires adds to the fun with magical and undead powers on display. The characters are all interesting with full backstories, some of which is shared with the readers. The book offers a fully realized world where the characters feel like they have been living for some time and you have just popped into their lives. The characters are interesting and not stereotypical. There are lovely LGBT moments in the book too with lesbian couples and Drago themselves using they/them/their pronouns.
The illustrations are a marvelous mix of homey mundane and fang-filled spookiness. Drago pops on the page with their bald head and black cloak. The colors are rich, including poisonous greens, autumnal oranges, and dark blues and purples.
A spooky and funny graphic novel full of friendship and fiends. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Quill Tree Books.
Voya’s time to get her Calling has finally arrived. While she isn’t excited about the trial that she must undergo, she is thrilled that she will get her witch’s power. Voya hopes that her power will set the course for the rest of her life, likely keeping her close at home with her multigenerational family who live in a house that was magically moved to Canada. When Voya’s hesitation causes her to have to ask her ancestor for another chance, she is given an impossible task: to destroy her first love. If Voya doesn’t succeed, every witch in her family will lose their magic. It also means that Voya’s young sister will die since magic keeps her alive. As Voya tries to get her cousin a great internship, she also meets a boy who is the perfect genetic match for her. The trouble is, they don’t like each other at all and he has no interest in even meeting her again. As Voya struggles to solve the mystery of her Calling, she learns more about her family’s pure magic, the cost of darker magical power, and what duty to her family means.
This book is full of Black magic that is at once both powerful but also marvelously mundane. Sambury brings us into a family of witches who are coming to the end of their power and tied to being pure, meaning that they won’t kill or torture other people to gain power. The family dynamics are beautifully drawn, from divorced parents who are forced to live together under the same roof to a grandmother who controls them all to a group of cousins who are very different from one another but also watch out and help one another constantly. The dialog is well written, full of small touches that bring each character to life.
Voya is an unusual protagonist. First, she has not only her parents but a huge extended family around her all the time. Second, she has trouble making choices that impact her life to the point of grinding to a halt regularly. When given tasks that force her to make decisions, she falters but doesn’t give up. She finds other ways, other paths and asks for help. This is the opposite of a solo protagonist, as she is surrounded by people who love her even if they don’t trust that she will succeed.
Magical, powerful and unique, this novel is fantastic. Appropriate for ages 13-17.
Waking Brain Cells 