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Diary of an Accidental Witch by Honor and Perdita Cargill
“But surely you covered the basic concoctions at home?”
I had no idea what ‘basic concoctions’ were, but she looked so worried, I nodded. “Well, that’s a relief!” she said. “Goodness knows what would happen if you started making potions without knowing the basics. Hahahahaha!” I wasn’t laughing because I was too busy worrying about what would happen when we found out.
Prepare to be bewitched by Bea Black and the enchanting village of Little Spellshire. Attending a new secondary school where you know absolutely nobody is scary enough (and something to which I can certainly relate). It’s natural to feel like an outsider in any school, but imagine if you were the only one who wasn’t a witch? When you add magic to the mix, it takes the struggle to fit in to another level entirely.
Through a series of hilarious diary entries, we explore Little Spellshire and feel as though we are attending the School of Extraordinary Arts ourselves. Bea must navigate nasty classmates, disgusting school dinners and unusual pets, while trying to master a subject she feels she has no aptitude for – magic. Bea is a brilliant character and a master of witty asides, and quaint Little Spellshire is an intriguing setting. Bea’s father and the people connected to the School of Extraordinary Arts are wonderfully eccentric, and the school has lots of peculiar traditions. This is as atmospheric as it is amusing and Katie Saunder's fantastic illustrations really add to the fun. Bea’s diary records the daily events as her first ever Halloween ball approaches, which makes this ideal reading material for October. It’s a story that can be enjoyed at any time of the year and is guaranteed to entertain whenever it’s read. I’m hoping this is the first in a series and can’t wait for authors Honor and Perdita Cargill to work their magic again. Diary of an Accidental Witch was published by Stripes, an imprint of Little Tiger, on 2nd September 2021 - see this book on the publisher's website Thanks so much to Little Tiger and Netgalley for my review copy - all opinions expressed are my own. About the authors: Honor and Perdita Cargill are a daughter/mother writing partnership and the authors of Waiting for Callback as well as Diary of an Accidental Witch. Originally from the Scottish Highlands, Perdita spent many years as a barrister before turning to writing fiction. Honor, having recently graduated from Oxford, is working on fiction and non-fiction writing projects as well as studying for a Masters at The Courtauld Institute. They both live in London.