Witchworld

By Author / Illustrator

Emma Fischel, Chris Riddell

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

Publisher

Nosy Crow Ltd

ISBN

9780857634177

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

04-09-2014

Synopsis

The witches of Witchworld have no need for old-fashioned wands or broomsticks, not when they have shiny Spellsticks and super-whizzy Skyriders instead. And no one has a cauldron anymore, just a cupboard full of Potions2Go. Flo Skritchett lives with her mother, the editor-in-chief of celebrity and Lifestyle magazine, Hocus Pocus, and her witchteen sister. All is well, until her grandmother flies in to town and warns them that Witchworld is in danger from a Ghoul Attack! No one believes her - after all, Ghouls died out years ago and she still rides around on a broomstick, for goodness' sake! But Grandma's right, and soon Flo starts to wonder if modern witchcraft can save them or whether they'll have to look to the Old Ways after all...The first funny, excitingly witchy story in the trilogy for 9+ readers; it's impossible not to fall under its spell, especially with Chris Riddell's bewitching cover and incidental illustration.\"A satirical, imaginative fantasy\" - Sunday Times

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Reviews

Flo has a problem grandmother who does not seem to want to live in the modern age and has a habit of arriving on her broomstick and causing havoc. Flo's very modern mother, the a high-flying magazine editor of Hocus Pocus, has offered her mother all mod cons including a spellstick - but to no avail. Grandma arrives on her broomstick having been thrown out of her house and sets up home with Flo, her sister Hetty and mum, but she is determined they will listen to her story of the ghouls and how they are going to take over Haggspit. Gradually Flo begins to realise that Grandma is right and picks the right place for an ambush, her sister Hetty's prom! This is a clever story which has moved witches into the 21st century. Flos friends are not interested in forest pixies or indeed ghouls, but in attracting boys; Mum is too involved in her business to see how much Flo is hurting from the loss of her Father to a ghoul and a rocket. Witches travel in skyriders along Skyways, and witchteens worry about doing their witchcitizen homework.
Only Flo with her interest in forest pixies and nibbets manage to beat the ghouls, and prove Grandma right in the end and leading nicely up to a sequel.

The production of this book makes it look for a younger audience than will get the most out of it, those who will get the clever modern take on witches, the updating of travel etc. Girls from 9 upwards will like the purple pages and the many drawings, but many a ten to eleven year old will truly get the joke. A word of warning the ghoul is absolutely foul looking!

Reviewed by Janet Fisher, librarian