Willa lives in a village caught between the warring Silverclaw and Irontongue witches where wayward spells create downpours of frogs or turn innocent people into clouds that then float away. When Willa accidentally casts wayward spells of her own, she is accused of being a witch. She is then whisked off to the castle where she will be trained (for a year!) in the art of witchcraft before she will be forced to choose between the warring covens. Of course, she denies being a witch although her parents did always encourage her to keep her fizzing nature under control. With the help of her friends, the dogsbody (a person who does menial work) and the princess who fancies herself the castle librarian, she investigates the mysterious spells that keep popping up and tries to figure out her place in the world of witchcraft and royalty. Written to appeal to kids who love a good potty joke – the witches fling boogers at each other and create “jumble” monsters comprised of body parts from different animals – kids will enjoy the story but I think young readers are perhaps a bit more sophisticated than the author perceives. 

Reviewed by Karen Sandlin Silverman, Mt. Ararat Middle School, Topsham