Witch for a Week

By Author / Illustrator

Kaye Umansky, Ashley King

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

Publisher

Simon & Schuster Ltd

ISBN

9781471160905

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

05-10-2017

Synopsis

'A Bewitching tale, charmingly told and is certain to delight any witch in the making' M.G, Leonard, award-winning author of Beetle Boy
'A gorgeous story that bubbles with charm, wit and magic' Abi Elphinstone, author of The Dreamsnatcher
'Bursting with memorable characters, a huge sense of fun and a big dollop of honey, flowers and strawberry-scented magic!' Joe Berger, author of Lyttle Lies and Hubble Bubble
'A sulky raven, a grubby dog and a common-sense heroine with a strong sense of customer service. This is a funny, magical treat!' Holly Webb, author of Lost in the Snow

When Elsie Pickles offers to house-sit the mysterious home of local witch Magenta Sharp, she has no idea what she's getting herself into. Left with a talking raven and a scruffy dog for company, a magical tower that has a mind of its own and a book of instruction called Everything You Need to Know, what could possibly go wrong?

With an assortment of weird and wonderful neighbours banging at the door and a box of volatile magical ingredients that must be used immediately, Elsie finds out that looking after Magenta's home might not be as easy as she first thought ... does she have what it takes to be a witch for a week or will it all end in a magical disaster?

A new magical adventure from Kaye Umansky, the bestselling author of the spellbinding children's classic Pongwiffy, brought to life with charming illustrations from rising star Ashley King!

Reviews

Elsie Pickles helps to run the family shop in Smallbridge. One day the local witch Magenta Sharp advertises for a caretaker for her tower in the forest. Elsie takes the position and there begins a week of adventure and fun! Elsie Pickles is a brilliant female character and she is just the right person for the job of caretaker. Elsie discovers magic and uses the family store rules to help her have a wonderful week of being a witch. This book is full of fun, adventure and misfits in the form of Magenta's neighbours. It is a truly brilliant story of finding happiness and friends in the most unlikely of places. 192 pages / Ages 7+ / Reviewed by Erin Foote

Suggested Reading Age 7+

Elsie helps out in her family's shop, the grandly named Pickles Emporium. Unfortunately, the grandest thing about it is its name and it struggles to win customers and sell its wares. On one run-of-the-mill afternoon, however, the shop is visited by Magenta Sharp, a local witch looking for a caretaker for her home while she visits her sister. Elsie somehow ends up employed for the task and makes her way to the forest the very next day, where she makes the acquaintance of the tower (the witch's home) and Corbett (the raven). Elsie is determined not to try out magic but cannot resist for very long and, in response to a plea from Sylphine Greenmantle (known to everyone apart from herself as Aggie Wiggins), creates a love potion that ends up causing no end of trouble, but, thanks to her new-found skill in creating a storm in a teacup, Elsie saves the day. This is the first in a new series by the very popular author whose engaging stories are enjoyed by many young readers. The characters are appealing, the language accessible for the newly independent reader and the magic of the humorous variety (who would not like a larder that produced cake if you just asked for it?!) 192 pages / Ages 7+ / Reviewed by June Hughes, school librarian.