Sweet Magic (Witchycakes #1) by Kara LaReau, illustrated by Ariane Moreira (Random House Books for Young Readers, 80 pages, grades 1-4). Young witch Blue is still working on their magical powers, but they love being involved of all aspects of their mother’s bakery. When they’re sent out on a delivery mission, accompanied by their seagull familiar Gully, they encounter a series of opportunities to practice magic. For the most part, the magic fails, but Blue is able to help people anyway, using their own natural instincts to figure out what’s needed in each situation. Returning home, Blue’s mother assures them that imagination and kindness are just as important and magic, and that Blue is on their way to becoming a great witch. Includes a recipe for Mama Moon’s Beach Crumble.
This enchanting early chapter book by the author of The Infamous Ratsos portrays a cozy beach town and an enchanting cast of characters that will have readers heading right for book 2. Just like with the Ratsos, LaReau weaves an uplifting message into a fun story.
Hut! Hut! Hike! (Sports Zone! #1) by Andrew Maraniss, illustrated by Aishwarya Tandon (Scholastic, 96 pages, grades 1-4). Jasper and his two best friends Mo and Ruby decide to try out for their town’s flag football team. Jasper is a dedicated fan of the game and is confident that he’ll not only make the team but be one of the best players. Tryouts go pretty well, but Jasper makes a few mistakes, and he realizes that he still has a lot to learn. The three kids are thrilled to make the team, which names themselves the Frogs. The Frogs look forward to their first game against the Beagles, but when the big day arrives, the kids learn they still need some lessons in teamwork to be able to pull out a win.
The newest addition to Scholastic’s branches series is a pretty straightforward sports story interspersed with sidebars giving additional information about topics like the game of football, the specifics of flag football, and some of the greatest players from the NFL. With plenty of illustrations, including a few comic book style panels, and a fast-paced story, this is a good choice for early chapter book readers. Having said that, I still think Branches does best with fantasy books like The Last Firehawk, Dragon Masters, and Kwame’s Magic Quest. Thanks to Scholastic for providing me with a free review copy of this book.