The Missing Magic (B Magical)

Gr 3—5—Beatrix is distraught. She is an 11-year-old witch, which means that her spell-casting ability should have kicked in by now. Unfortunately, the only thing she does well is spell words correctly—literally. She cannot help but feel depressed about her situation, but when a new English teacher arrives at school, B starts to learn that she is not as ordinary as she feared. In fact, her talent for spelling makes her more special than she could ever imagine. This is a great book in a new series, and one that reluctant readers will be pulled into because of the fantasy elements. The story line itself is one many readers can relate to, as B has insecurities she has to deal with, such as being too shy to speak in class and too timid to stand up to the class bully. It is a good start for those moving beyond the Daisy Meadows books (Scholastic).—Elizabeth Swistock, Jefferson Madison Regional Library, Charlottesville, VA