THE WITCHY WORRIES OF ABBIE ADAMS

This frothy debut novel delivers plenty of entertainment to the elementary and middle-grade audience interested in magical fantasy. Abbie, a fifth-grade girl from a family of witches, tries to fit in with the normal world but constantly finds herself in trouble in school and at home, especially after she gets a kitten as a pet. Abbie and her family fling spells as fast as they can think, but even in a witch’s home one doesn’t expect a kitten to be able to read. Aha! It turns out that there’s a boy trapped inside the animal, and not just any boy, but one of America’s most famous 19th-century scientists. Hayter depicts the boy with believable antique dialogue, a distinct change from the endlessly bubbly Abbie. Her nice characterizations ground the novel, even as plenty of comedy combines with some suspense when Abbie, her crazy family and friends travel back in time to catch the bad witch who transformed the someday-famous boy. Light as cotton candy and just as tasty. (Magical adventure. 8-12)