Monday 5 August 2013

Review: Birthday Wishes (Magic Trix 3) by Sara Grant

Another charming story about the trainee witch 


I love these little books! Pitched at the 5-8 crowd, but perfectly enjoyable for older readers too :), they capture all the magic and charm I remember from my own childhood reads such as Enid Blyton and Jill Murphy.

In this instalment, Trix is desperately hoping that her best friend Holly, whose tenth birthday is coming up, will learn that she too is a witch. At the same time, there are new witchly skills to learn and more trouble from the less-than-nice Stella. Another thing I appreciate about these books is that they are also about friendship, with good models for young readers without a whiff of preachiness.

Trix is a great main character. She's not perfect, but she is good and kind and tries hard. She's easy for young readers to both like and look up to. I also love her familiar, Jinx the visible-only-to-witches cat. He is so sweet and it's a real bonus that some sections are narrated from his point of view - a real stroke of genius!

If you have an under-10-year-old around, I'd definitely recommend this series. Or, you know, for yourself if you're a kidlit reader :)

See my reviews of the earlier books in the series: The Witching Hour and Flying High

From the blurb:

The three signs that you may be a witch...

* You occasionally see witches flying across the midnight sky on their broomsticks.

* Rhyming spells pop into your head at the drop of a (witch's) hat!

* You love planning magical surprises for your friends.

Parties and potions. Secrets and surprises!

Witch-in-training, Trix Morgan, is planning a surprise birthday party for her best friend, Holly. But nothing goes according to plan - especially when mean-girl Stella adds a secret ingredient to Trix's magic potion...

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Published May 2013 by Orion Children's Books
Find it on Goodreads
My grateful thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy

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