A stalwart young girl discovers the secrets of a benign witch’s bungalow in this charming middle-grade fantasy. When intrepid 11-year-old Clover Twig goes to work for local witch Mrs. Eckles, she has no idea she’s inadvertently placed herself in the middle of an age-old feud. Mrs. Eckles’s slinky evil sister Mesmeranza has been trying for years to steal Mrs. Eckles’s cottage. The shabby shack has the ability to fly, a power both witches covet. While Mrs. Eckles is away, Mesmeranza finally manages to filch it on Clover’s watch. But practical Clover promptly outwits Mesmeranza and her inept castle servants with the help of her accident-prone buddy Wilf and Neville the smelly black cat, piloting the cottage safely home before Mrs. Eckles’s return. While there are countless clever-girl stories in today’s kid lit, British author Umansky’s giggle-worthy characterizations and dialogue make this winsome read-aloud stand out from the pack. The fractured–fairy-tale elements will also appeal to independently reading fans of Eva Ibbotson’s Which Witch (2000) and Jean Ferris’s Once Upon a Marigold (2002). (Fantasy. 9-12)
