Nicol, James. The Apprentice Witch.

Nicol, James. The Apprentice Witch. Scholastic/Chicken House  2017 318p $16.99   ISBN 978-1-338-11858-2     ms   Fantasy  E-BN       

Arianwyn has failed her witch’s assessment test and will not get her silver star. She is shuffled off to the distant town of Lull on the edge of the Great Wood to spend her life as an apprentice witch.  However, things are not so quiet in Lull. All sorts of unusual creatures are showing up unexpectedly, and Arianwyn must discover the source of the mysterious occurrences. Her magical abilities are tested as never before and she also has to contend with trouble closer to hand in the shape of  her archrival Gimma.  

This exciting magical adventure written in a sprightly manner is utterly spellbinding. It offers both fantasy and suspenseful fiction in a well-paced plot and features engaging characters. The plot is full of surprises, the locations are beautifully rendered, and even the secondary characters are very three-dimensional. The author mixes adventure, political intrigue, and mystery into this very well done novel.     Highly recommended for middle-school libraries.   

Summary: Airanwyn has failed her assessment test and will always be an apprentice witch.  She is sent to the small town of Lull on the edge of the Great Woods, where her magical abilities are truly tested.

Magic-Fiction, Witches-Fiction                --Susan Ogintz

Eve, Laure. The Graces.

Eve, Laure.  The Graces.      Amulet see Harry Abrams  2016  340p  $18.95  ISBN 978-1-4197-2123-6  hs  Supernatural  VG

River moves into a new town with her mother. At school she finds that making friends is hard, but she is intent on becoming friends with Summer Grace, one of the three Grace siblings, whose family members are purported to be witches. The secretive family is loathed but intriguing to the community because of suspicious events that take place at their house. River’s life has not been easy, with her father mysteriously leaving the family and hints that she had to take medication after he left. The writing is superb, with carefully selected vocabulary that invokes unique environments, supernatural spells, and feelings that are palpable. There is a consistent push and pull in the rhythm of the plot, with feelings that impact the characters and yet entice the reader to move through the philosophical sections to the action sequences. With River wanting to learn magic spells, she and the Graces explore dark magic in hopes of breaking the curse that separates the Grace family from the larger community. A romantic subplot arises between River and Fenrin Grace, who is the handsome twin of Thalia Grace. The ending is so unexpected that it will rock readers who expect a typical happy ending. There are alcohol-fueled parties and a gay love affair, but these are necessary parts of the plot as it unfolds into a horrendous calamity and quasi resolution. Could there be a sequel in the works?

Summary: When River moves to a new town, she becomes enamored with the Grace family, who are reported to be witches. As she becomes friendly with Summer Grace, she is drawn into their dark world. There are many surprises by the end of the book. Grades 9-12.

           

Witches–Fiction                                       --Lois McNicol

McCoola, Marika. Baba Yaga’s Assistant.

McCoola, Marika.  Baba Yaga’s Assistant.  Candlewick Press  2015  127p.  $16.99  ISBN 978-0-7636-6961-4  hs  Graphic novel  VG-BN      

“ASSISTANT WANTED ASAP: Must have skills in hauling, obeying orders, cooking, and cleaning.  Magical talent a bonus.  Must be good with heights.  Enter Baba Yaga's house to apply.”

To earn her place in Baba Yaga’s house, Masha must pass a series of tests, outwit a bear, and prepare a meal for her employer.  Since Baba Yaga eats children, this is no small task.  Readers unfamiliar with folktales about Baba Yaga may find elements of this story confusing, as the context is nebulous.  There are brief retellings of several traditional Baba Yaga tales, but the primary emphasis is about family relationships, particularly that of Masha and her grandmother.  Those readers familiar with tales about Baba Yaga will see another side of her, beyond the “wicked witch” reputation.

The brightly colored illustrations, with folk-art elements, are appealing to young audiences, but the text and protagonist are geared to young adults.  Emily Caroll’s illustrations will delight fans of Through the Woods.  Marika McCoola’s debut novel is a solid success for a promising new talent.

Summary: Why would a young woman apprentice herself to an evil witch?  Masha becomes Baba Yaga’s apprentice in a new approach to the Russian folk tales about the legendary witch.    

Folk Tales-Fiction, Witches-Fiction                         --Hilary Welliver

Cammuso, Frank. The Misadventures of Salem Hyde.

Cammuso, Frank.   The Misadventures of Salem Hyde.    Amulet see Abrams  2013  95p  ISBN 978-1-4197-0803-9  elem G      Graphic novel    

Whammy the cat has been around for a long time and is very good at training witches, but when he gets the call and is introduced to Salem Hyde, he wonders if what is left of his lives will survive this young, unruly witch. Salem and Whammy do not hit it off when they first meet, and to be honest Whammy thinks Salem is a total disaster, but somewhere along the line as they get into one misadventure after another, Whammy realizes that Salem is not a bad witch, just a troublesome one. Salem’s problem is that she does not know how to spell so she confuses the terms “spelling charms” and “spelling words”, and the results are funny, hilarious and downright outrageous. That’s when Whammy decides that he will help Salem understand the difference between a charm spell and spelling a word.

This is a charming and funny graphic novel that will have kids laughing at Salem and Whammy’s antics.  I could not give a better rating to this book as it is an uncorrected proof.

Summary: Salem Hyde is a witch, and when she hears that her middle school will be having a spelling bee she decides she is going to participate and win.  Then she discovers that although she is really good at witch spelling, she is not good at spelling words.                    

Humor-Fiction, Witches-Fiction                                    --Magna Diaz