Diary of an Accidental Witch is a gorgeously charming, magical adventure that sparkles with humour, warmth and friendship that completely captivated me.

Bea Black has moved to Little Spellshire where her weather scientist Dad intends to write a book about its unusual climate.  She soon makes a new friend, Ashkan, who gives her cake and offers to show her around her new school, Spellshire Academy.  A promising start!  BUT things don’t quite go to plan for Bea when she discovers that her Dad has accidentally enrolled her in The School of Extraordinary Arts instead.  It’s a school for witches which would not be a problem except that Bea isn’t aware of any hidden witchy powers!  She is given her own wand, a frog called Stan to look after and sent to levitation class – what could possibly go wrong?

This is written in the style of Bea’s diary, giving a wonderfully heartfelt and witty insight into her life as she navigates some rather unusual lessons, learns to ride a broomstick and finds herself on the Committee for the upcoming Halloween Ball.  Will she be able to keep her school life a secret from her Dad and Ashkan?   Will she find friends in this magical school, or is she destined to spend her time hiding in the broom cupboard?

Bea is an incredibly likeable young girl who is coping with some of the usual worries about settling in to secondary school like whether she will fit in or make friends which is sure to offer support to young readers feeling the same whether they are going to another school or starting in a new class.  Bea also shows a great deal of resilience as she works hard to practice her witch skills, sometimes with unexpected consequences. 

I loved the diary-entry style of this story which will appeal to lots of young readers with its use of bold and capital letters, crossing outs, lists and footnotes.  The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and complement the humour and charm of this story perfectly.

This is a wonderfully warm-hearted, fun-filled story that is sure to enchant young readers of 7+.

Thank you to Little Tiger for an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

And … my summer holiday is over! I did make the most of it, and it was exactly what I needed – lots of relaxation, reading and seeing family. But the rowing machine that was going to help me get fit – not so much! I had my first day with my new Year 6 class on Friday and it was so brilliant to be back with this Year group. We’re heading off on a residential later this month which I’m very excited about as I used to love this one when I was last in Year 6.

Books I’ve read:

I’ve read 12 books this month, all physical copies. I’ve written and posted reviews for 7 of the books I’ve read. I really enjoyed all of these books but the ones that really stood out for me were Fireborn, Hide and Seek and The Crackledawn Dragon.

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NetGalley:

My Feedback Ratio is now at 97%. I have two books to read on my NetGalley Shelf, The Shadows of Rookhaven and Locked Out Lily both released on 30th September.

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Books sent by publishers:

I have been lucky enough to have been sent these books by publishers this month.

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Books I’ve bought:

I’ve bought 6 books in August.

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How has your month been? Have you read any of these?

On my Blog today, I am delighted to bring you a guest post from the author of this gorgeous book, Rachel Pierce, who has shared some fascinating facts which I hope you enjoy reading as much as I did. I was born in County Donegal and didn’t know that I was brought up so close to a ‘hellmouth’!

Top 10 facts about Ireland by Rachel Pierce, author of

IRELAND: THE PEOPLE, THE PLACES, THE STORIES

It’s easy to think that you know your own country very well, but when you really pay attention, you quickly realise that you often only know half of the story. Writing Ireland: The People, The Places, The Stories brought me on a journey across the whole island and right through its long history. It’s a truly fascinating place and I hope readers relish learning about Ireland as much as I did.

• About 350 million years ago, Ireland was covered by a tropical sea – that’s why so many interesting marine fossils are found in the Burren, County Clare.
• A 2,000-year-old lump of bog butter was unearthed in Emlagh bog, County Meath – taste- test anyone?
• The oubliette, or ‘forgotten place’, in Leap Castle, County Offaly, has wooden spikes sticking up out of the ground – a truly gruesome punishment!
• Cursing stones, like those at Feaghna, County Kerry, and at Inishmurray, allow you to place a curse on the head of anyone who’s annoying you.
• Folklore tells us there are ‘hellmouths’, or ‘gateways to hell’ in Ireland – the most famous being at Oweynagat (‘the cave of the cats’) in County Roscommon and at St Patrick’s Purgatory in County Donegal.
• You can go moonbow hunting in the Dark Sky Reserves in counties Mayo and Kerry.
• The dry stone walls in the Ceide Fields in north County Mayo are c. 5,800 years old.
• Marauding Vikings massacred about 1,000 hiding people in Dunmore cave, County Kilkenny.
• If you live in Muckanaghederdauhaulia, in County Galway, you live in pig-shaped hill between two saltwater lakes (although that’s open to interpretation!).
• The Gresham Vault at Mount Jerome cemetery in Dublin has a pedestal on top that once held a bell with a chain attached. The lady buried inside the vault insisted on a spring lock on her coffin, as well as the bell and chain, so that if she was buried alive, she could pop the lock, ring the bell and be rescued!

Ireland: The People, The Places, The Stories is published by Scholastic on 2nd September. It features a foreword by Dara Ó Briain and illustrations by ten leading Irish illustrators: Linda Fahrlin, Diarmuid Ó Catháin, Alan Dunne, Lydia Hughes, Brian Fitzgerald, Ashling Lindsay, Graham Corcoran, Jennifer Farley, Conor Nolan, Donough O’Malley

You can purchase a copy at:

Waterstones

Amazon (UK)

Bookshop.org

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I’m still listening to Never and Forever which is such a fun read – it’s taking a while but I should finish it by next week as I’ll be back at work and able to listen to it on the way to and from work which seems to be the only way I can focus on audiobooks! I’m about quarter of the way through The Bewitching of Aveline Jones and, oh my goodness, it is delicious! I just love the spooky vibes and the building of suspense as well as the writing style which makes it hard to put down.

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I’ve really enjoyed all the books I’ve read this week. I finished Wolfstongue which is a powerful and beautifully written story. It’s one I’m considering using in Year 6 as the writing style is wonderful and the themes would be great to explore with children. I’ve also read Diary of an Accidental Witch which is a wonderfully warm and funny story about Bea Black who moves to the village of Little Spellshire and finds herself enrolled in a school for witches, even though she doesn’t have any magical powers. I will be posting my review for this one soon. Unexpectedly, I was sent a copy of Danger at Dead Man’s Pass, the fourth book in the brilliant Adventure on Trains series, so I thought I’d pick up Murder on the Safari Star. This was another fantastic, exciting adventure as Hal and his Uncle Nat venture from Pretoria to Victoria Falls. Such a clever mystery and, as usual, I didn’t guess who the culprit, but I so enjoyed Hal’s investigation together with the wonderful pictures. I was determined to read The Crackledawn Dragon before I headed back to school, and I just managed. What a wonderful end to a fantastically magical series. This has everything I love in a fantasy adventure – warmth, humour, incredible adventure, gorgeous world-building and brilliant characters who go on an emotional as well as fantastical journey. And Abi is the Queen of character names, magical inventions and messages that make me all fuzzy inside! I’m sad that this series is finished, but can’t wait to see what comes next.

I’m hoping to read How Not to be a Vampire Slayer next.

What are you reading? Have you read any of these?