Weava the wilful witch by Tiffany Mandrake
Ill. by Martin Chatterton. Little Hare Books, 2011. ISBN 9781921714023
(Ages 7-12) Recommended. From the Little Horrors series comes the story
of Weava Charm, a witch who loves causing trouble and is hoping to get
her letter of acceptance into Hag's Abademy of Badness. While waiting
for her letter she goes to the city to visit her big sister Merry, but
to her dismay she finds Merry is now calling herself Mary, and living
as a normal human! To make matters worse, Mary expects Weava to pretend
to be human too, and takes away her wand and broomstick. When Weava
finally gets her letter from the Abademy, it comes with a task - she
must perform a 'new and original act of breathtaking badness.'
Weava is determined that her act of badness should be to convince Merry
to live as a witch again, so with the help of a mischevious kit-fae,
she sets about trying to trick her sister into using magic.
As with all the titles in the Little Horrors series, Weava is sure to
be enjoyed by children who like a bit of mischief and humour in their
stories. With likeable characters who don't always make the best of
choices, students will find a refreshing change from the normal
saccharine sweet fairy stories. Martin Chatterton's delightfully
expressive illustrations help bring the characters to life.
Donella Reed.