(2) 4-6 Jazzy, this graphic novel's protagonist, dreads the upcoming flying parade that will be held in honor of a supermoon. All the other witches in her family and community assume she'll embrace her magical abilities, but she has a secret: bicycle racing is more her speed. As the big day approaches, her best friend, Aggie, helps her covertly but tries to steer her toward flying and witchcraft; "boring traditions," says Jazzy, and thus begins a rift in their friendship. Dynamic digital illustrations in a palette heavy on purple reflect the swooping fun of flying and complement the story's amusing witchy details (a wisecracking bat familiar, rhyming spells, oatmeal that may or may not contain pond scum). Amid the magic, this is a community-expectations-versus-individual-interests tale told with nuance, much of which Jazzy discovers along with readers. Witchcraft hasn't always come as easily to the adults in her life as she thinks, and her interests don't have to be all or nothing. Cozy family scenes with Mom, Mama, and Granny Titch, who along with Jazzy are depicted with varied dark skin tones, are a highlight and bring elements of real-world traditions into this magical world (e.g., Mom and Mama recall jumping the broom at their wedding). Cartoon instructions for making broomsticks -- and spore prints, because Aggie finds an interest of her own -- are appended. Add New series title: Jazzy the Witch

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2025

(2) 4-6 In this compelling sequel to Abeni’s Song (rev. 9/23), Abeni and her companions continue their quest to find the elder spirits who might protect Asha (the first book’s benevolent witch who here has been reborn as a child) from the malevolent Witch Priest. Their journey takes an unexpected turn when they’re captured by the Gold Weavers, mysterious beings with the ability to manipulate gold at will. The Gold Weavers offer Abeni a bargain: her freedom in exchange for locating an ancestral relic containing the soul of their kingdom. Meanwhile, the Witch Priest builds his army, intent on world domination. Fearing Asha’s power to de-rail his plans, he dispatches his adopted daughter, Fulan, to capture both the re-born spirit and her guardian, Abeni. Fulan’s determination to prove herself adds another layer of danger. Clark adeptly combines action and emotion in this fast-paced narrative, which also explores themes of loyalty, heritage, and personal growth through Abeni’s evolving relationships with her companions. The author’s skilled incorporation of historical and magical elements enriches the worldbuilding while reinforcing the tale’s central themes. This second installment successfully builds upon its predecessor while raising the stakes for all involved.

Reviewer: S. R. Toliver | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Charles Santoso. Evelyn Witch’s new mystery pet in a box is an egg on a nest, unready to hatch. Children will sympathize with Evelyn’s impatience (“sniveling snails!”) as she tries casting spells to bring forth a pet. After Evelyn learns it takes time and loving care, the egg finally hatches (in the pom-pom hat she knitted for it), and her new companion even eats those sniveling snails in her perfectly messy green hair. Ferry’s dramatic and well-paced text effectively uses repetition, humor, and occasional rhymes, while Santoso’s varied digital illustrations emphasize Evelyn’s dynamic personality, making this a storytime “hoot.”

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Maurice Sendak. King retells the Grimm tale in a “new interpretation” (per an opening note), using Sendak’s set and costume designs from the 1997 Engelbert Humperdinck opera. The lengthy text doesn’t shy away from the tale’s darkness, complete with murderous-stepmother trope. The often comically creepy illustrations (digitally photographed by Stinehour Editions) hold nostalgic appeal for Sendak fans; wooded archways (somewhat repetitively used) welcome readers into the woods.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(2) 4-6 In this page-turning sequel to The Last Rhee Witch (rev. 7/24), it's been six months since Seattle tween Ronnie Miller discovered she was a witch during summer camp and helped free her deceased mother's ghost from a wrathful witch hunter. Now Ronnie and her friends return to Rhee Manor for winter break camp. Danger still lurks in the forest-covered estate, this time in the form of a ravenous gumiho (Korean fox spirit) who promises that Ronnie's mother can be reanimated if the girl feeds it enough gi (life force). Soon, campers fall ill, one by one, with a strange freezing disease, and Ronnie and her friends must solve the problem before things turn lethal. Horror elements mix with fraught emotions when Ronnie has to decide whether she values her friendships more than her mother's potential reanimation. A sudden spirit possession provides yet another twist and opportunity for our protagonist to develop additional empathy and compassion for others. A gripping read, with occasional lighter moments (a snowball fight; making ice sculptures) amidst the suspenseful supernatural drama.

Reviewer: Michelle Lee | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(3) 4-6 cabin 23 series. Like its two predecessors (by series creators Justina Ireland and Hanna Alkaf, respectively), this book is written as a story told by a witch to a lost summer camper. After a tragedy that results in the imprisonment of his older brother, twelve-year-old Gen and his parents move to a perfect-seeming town in Argentina. With some new friends, Gen eventually uncovers the truth about the town, involving missing children, alien “visitors,” and an ancient bargain. A creepy, dark, and readable series entry that will have readers eager for more.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Laura Hughes. While Pippin was known as the “BEST witch’s cat,” he wants to try his paw at some new roles, including being a pirate’s cat, a knight’s, and a girl’s pet. “But try as he might, nothing ever felt right!” After much soul searching, Pippin ends up back with Witch, and the book closes with the duo snuggling together on a couch. Rowland’s message about being open to new possibilities—and to returning home, if that’s what feels right—comes through clearly, and Hughes’s bright, cheerful illustrations provide a sense of frivolity.

Reviewer: Marva Anne Hinton

(3) K-3 The sisters from The Queen in the Cave (rev. 9/22) are at odds, and middle sister Carmela is sad enough to play “Walk Until You Can’t Walk Anymore.” Her travels take her to a witch’s tower, where she feels at home brewing potions, flying, and summoning other witches—and her improved mood carries over to her return home. The fanciful story is grounded in real emotion, allowing for satisfying moments of witchy self-actualization. Striking digital illustrations, perhaps appropriately dreamlike, make engagingly varied use of the space.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(2) YA Sisters Riley and Sam help their uncle run his museum of dark folklore and unexplained disappearances next to spooky Voynich Woods. One day, Sam flees into the woods to escape a rude tourist; Riley goes after her and is murdered. But magically endowed Madelyn, who lives in the woods with her abusive Mother, finds Riley's grave under the creepy "Wishing Tree" and brings her back, albeit with a hole in her chest filled with a "black, half-solid ooze." While Riley returns home and tries to hide the change death has wrought in her, Madelyn begins to learn what (or who) has been fueling the tree, which gives Mother her power. This compelling novel features many horror staples freshly woven together: a partially decayed, drowned ghost girl who can travel anywhere water flows and who helps Riley and Madelyn; a voracious tree with a hunger for vengeance; a man created by Mother, stuffed with "twisted, rusted nails," who helps with her grisly business; and a nineteenth-century family tragedy with long coattails in the present. Less common in the horror genre but welcome here are a blossoming romance between Riley and Madelyn and a feminist message of ownership over one's own body, something Madelyn has never known, so that by the end of this harrowing tale, Cipri -- and readers -- have earned the hopeful ending.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(1) YA This spirited, intelligent mashup of Arthuriana puts Morgan Le Fay -- now Ancient Crone, cheerfully saggy-bosomed and thin-haired -- and her granddaughter, Young Hag, at the center of a fresh new story. At her ceremonial naming with her mother and grandmother, Young Hag learns from Ancient Crone that the ways between Faerie and the human world have been severed and that it is their task to return the broken sword Excalibur to Avalon to mend that rupture. As they traverse the wild countryside, Young Hag learns through Taliesin the bard and Ancient Crone just how King Arthur, Merlin, magic, and the land ended up in this predicament. When Ancient Crone disappears and Young Hag's recently met traveling companion, Tom, is magically ensnared, Young Hag is on her own, piecing together stories, "fragments, questions, faces, threads all gathering, and me at the heart" -- to bring all to a new beginning. Greenberg's drawing style is comic but has a skillfully naive, seemingly unpracticed quality that enhances the protagonist's poignant, youthful courage. Epic tragedy and grave betrayals are conveyed with a light touch, while Young Hag's arduous personal growth and development have a heartwarming gravitas. "It takes a whole life to come of age," says Ancient Crone -- robust words of wisdom for any reader. Greenberg's play with her sources -- medieval Arthuriana, Edmund Spenser's Britomart (here wonderfully queer and pink-haired), Christina Rosetti's "Goblin Market" -- has satisfying imaginative and critical depth.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) 4-6 Twelve-year-old Darika Lovelace is spending the summer in Trinidad with her grandmother; she feels like her dad and stepmother don't want her around because she has been getting in trouble. She also misses her mom, who left two years earlier. When she arrives in Trinidad, she notices a strange woman looking at her; she asks about it, but Granny brushes her off. Later, Granny asks her to clear out her mother's childhood room and finish the mural her mom started. While painting the mural, Darika begins to have strange visions of her mom trapped in a tree she painted. Darika learns from some neighborhood kids that she is a witch and must save her mother. Howard mixes Trinidadian folklore with present-day issues to create a fast-paced adventure. Her descriptions of the island are vivid and create a strong sense of place; references to popular video games add appeal. Fans of Baptiste's Jumbies series will enjoy this accessible page-turner.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Emily Gravett. When Summer, a detached and frustrated fourth grader, shouts at her foster father, "You're not my dad," a sinkhole opens in the living-room floor, and everything starts to get out of hand. Beneath the floor, in a huge cavern, Summer discovers a dragon, a sword in a stone, and a potential treasure. She eventually finds herself in possession of the treasure: a bottle with a witch inside and a "DO NOT OPEN" label. This warning goes unheeded, and once released, the witch promises to grant Summer three wishes. Still struggling to establish her place in school and with her foster family, Summer has plenty of big wishes ready to go, but unfortunately, they come at a cost. Interjected throughout the dramatic story are comic breaks provided by the witch's smug cat, Tobias. Gravett's moody, fantastical art punctuates the chapters with extra personality, deftly building tension or slowing it down at key plot points. With the support of well-drawn secondary characters, including true friend Aishwarya and librarian Mrs. Brathwaite (who is well-versed in the tricky history of witches and the power of words), Summer stands up to the trouble she has created for herself and for those she cares about. Summer (unwittingly) marches new fantasy readers through a number of tropes that will introduce them to the genre as she discovers that many wishes can be fulfilled without the aid of magic.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) 4-6 In this middle-grade fantasy with a Korean folkloric twist, Korean American Ronnie Miller, twelve, works to solve the mystery behind the specter haunting her during summer camp at Rhee Manor in gloomy, woodsy Washington State. Although her best friend is also attending the two-week session, Ronnie worries about fitting in and misses her widowed father. Eerie encounters with Min-Young, a murdered Rhee family heiress, initially scare Ronnie, but the tween befriends the gwisin (ghost) and helps Min-Young figure out what her unfinished tasks are while she evades a witch-hunting dokkaebi (goblin). Over the course of the book, Ronnie makes new friends and allies, uncovers family secrets, and outmaneuvers the enemy while adapting to her newfound magical abilities. Suspenseful scenes are tempered with regular summer camp activities such as scavenger hunts. What elevates this supernatural tale is the protagonist's emotional journey; Ronnie's initial imposter syndrome, fears of not being "Korean enough," and unexplored grief over the death of her mother and grandfather are all sensitively drawn. Ultimately, she learns that love, friendship, and sharing memories prevail.

Reviewer: Michelle Lee | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Shane Cluskey. After their parents' tragic (and explosive) demise, Basil and Dahlia Bloom sit on a train barreling toward Philadelphia with their social worker, Mrs. Hassenblasset, who warns of their imminent separation. Distraught, the two leap from the moving train and begin a grueling quest to land themselves anywhere but apart from each other. Their wanderings ultimately take them to New York City, bruised, beaten, and hungry. Lured by the smells of a bakery, the children are caught dumpster-diving by celebrity chef Laurel Fox. She whisks them away to her luxurious apartment, seemingly transforming their lives in the blink of an eye. But despite their new wardrobes, the endless library, and the home-cooked meals, Dahlia and Basil sense something sinister behind Fox's keen interest in their tears. Black-and-white illustrations pepper the narrative with sharp corners and ominous shadows as the children attempt to escape one trap after another. The tone is largely due to its self-proclaimed-Dickensian narrator, who breaks the fourth wall often with wry asides, humorous advice, and anachronistic references, even making assertions about what's appropriate in a book for children. With a decidedly Lemony Snicket flavor and hints of Lowry's The Willoughbys (rev. 3/08), McCullough's variation on "Hansel and Gretel" satisfies the need for a fright but also deftly touches on the reality of grief, guilt, and the powerful bond between siblings.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) 4-6 Ramya (Like a Charm, rev. 11/23) has been sent to Loch Ness to study witchcraft with her aunt, but when her cousin Marley arrives, they learn that Portia, a siren who previously broke up Ramya's family, has taken over the city and is ruling it with her persuasive voice. Told to let the adults handle it, Ramya nonetheless sneaks out at night with Marley to investigate reports of fae in the area and discovers new friends, including a dragon that can carry the cousins to Edinburgh to check on the city under Portia's rule. They also encounter a menacing creature that can mimic anything: if Portia were to project her magical voice from the mimic's impersonations, she would be almost unstoppable. One strength of the narrative is McNicoll's championing of friendship, which surfaces in several subplots, and an even greater feature is the way she weaves Ramya's dyspraxia into the story line: the condition makes Ramya clumsy and inarticulate at times, but constantly being underestimated gives her a chip on her shoulder that affects the ways she interacts with other characters. Though her stubbornness may be a great asset, she has to overcome her attitude block before she can succeed. Bucking the trend of middle-grade adventure stories, in this one the adults handle the problems so that the kids don't have to -- but young readers will still find lots to identify with in this exciting, imaginative novel.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) 4-6 Becoming a bat mitzvah is not something Zipporah "Zippy" Chava McConnell had ever considered. Now almost thirteen, she's surprised by her mom's insistence that she at least give tutoring with Rabbi Dan a try. Reluctant at first, Zippy, a self-proclaimed witch ("Spells spring from me. And with them, I can handle the world"), becomes interested after discovering a link to the supernatural--and then a girl with mysterious abilities appears in the woods. In a generally lighthearted, self-aware narration, Zippy describes investigating the girl's identity; exploring Judaism (with a few textual Hebrew errors); and feuding with her best friend, among others. Occasional direct address ("Okay, I don't want to sound obnoxious, but wasn't that good? Didn't that sound like something from a real book?") and explanation ("now we've come to the part in the story where I need to tell you a little more about the Torah") keep readers engaged in Zippy's quest for answers. Though some of those necessarily remain ambiguous, the protagonist--and readers--can appreciate the wisdom of Rabbi Dan: "The world is full of questions, things we'll never be certain of...but for me, the journey, the search for answers, is as satisfying as the answers themselves. Questions can be beautiful. Mysteries can bind us to each other."

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Dan Misdea. When a mischievous black cat runs off with a little jack-o'-lantern child's purple mouse stuffie, the child must face their fears to find their beloved friend. In the end, stuffie and child are reunited, and our hero discovers a reserve of courage they didn't know they had. A lot happens in this wordless Halloween adventure that plays out in cleanly rendered panel illustrations. The jack-o'-lantern travels across a river and into a forest where they encounter a skeleton, ghosts, a witch (sad about her missing black cat), a giant octopus, and, scariest of all, the dark. The details sound frightening, but the art's soft palette and comforting round shapes signal to young readers and listeners that they needn't be.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(2) YA Yolanda Alvarez, just turned sixteen, is coming into her own as a bright student and a budding bruja. Having learned Afro-Dominican ancestral spiritual practices from her grandmother, she follows the guidance of her tarot cards and her Bruja Diosas as she navigates life in the Bronx. In the midst of everyday teenage worries (including not wanting to be "treated like the pretty smart-and-basically-deaf girl"), Yolanda finds herself grappling with uneasy feelings about a mysterious and wealthy new white student as a vision makes her aware that he is dangerous. A gripping plot drives this deftly written novel that straddles the known and unknown worlds; Avila skillfully depicts the reality of growing up as a Black Latinx teen in the midst of racial violence and social upheaval. While ­outsiders in the story may see Yolanda's family, neighborhood, and school in a ­negative light, Avila carefully demonstrates the tremendous strength in Yolanda's community and the deep roots of her spiritual life, which keep her grounded as she steps into her full power.

Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) K-3 Wilma is excited to bring home her new cat, but there's a big problem: the pet store is out of cats and gives her a wombat instead. The young witch doesn't hide her disappointment and unsuccessfully tries to force her pet to be more catlike. Belote's humorous digital illustrations showcase the many ways a wombat is not like a cat. It's only after her pet runs off that Wilma begins to appreciate the wombat she has. This lighthearted and heartwarming allegory about acceptance also includes a brief appended list of interesting facts about wombats, building on a sillier list within the story.

Reviewer: Marva Anne Hinton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(1) 4-6 On Abeni's twelfth birthday, a witch enters her village to give a grave warning: an evil is coming, and it's too late to run. The adults prepare for an impossible battle as malevolent women and a shadowy goat man, aided by magical black ropes and an enchanted flute, begin their attack. When it's over, Abeni survives--saved by the witch--but the village has been destroyed and its residents, both adults and children, have disappeared, "hidden in the darkness." Abeni despairs over the loss of her community, but the witch, Asha, provides some stability until she, too, disappears. With the aid of two spirits (a timid porcupine and a brusque panther), Abeni sets out to find her friends and family before they are completely consumed by the dark. Clark presents a rich story of love, loss, and friendship steeped in West African lore. Readers will thrill to the fantastic plot points as well as the genuine relationships between magical and mortal characters, and the fast-paced plot will keep them fully immersed in the story from beginning to end. An excellent foundation for a projected new fantasy series.

Reviewer: S. R. Toliver | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023