The Witches of Winderry Spires by Karen Foxlee

"You are the Clock Tower Girl for a reason. That reason is for you to decide. If that makes you feel worse, remember: everyone has felt the same way as you."

I am going to unpack the opening sentence: "Lucy Broadmeadow was the very last person in all of the Kingdom that anyone would have expected to receive the green ribbon letter."

The letter has come from the Ticking Witch but why has Lucy been chosen? What is a green ribbon letter?

"Lucy was neither academic nor good at public speaking. She was good at doing dangerous things, though. She could cartwheel very well and hang upside down from tree branches just using her legs (and she was good at) ... pretending she was an explorer."

What do we know about the Kingdom? Early in the story we read that there are five Kingdoms but no one goes to the fifth one in the North. Lucy comes from the South and Winderry Spires is in the Middle Kingdom. Lucy has been selected to be the new clock tower girl. She has been sent a green ribbon to wear in her hair. Green smoke has signaled that the letter has been sent from the Winderry Spires. Lucy has to leave her home and travel to the Spires. The clock tower itself is part of the Spires.

"The clock was situated in the right spire, only it wasn't just one clock face, it was several faces jammed into one large face, all of them doing different things, some hands whirring fast and other hands jerking slowly."

Clearly something is wrong with the clock and as she arrives Lucy notices it hasn't stopped chiming. That is of course only the start of things. On the kitchen table Lucy finds her instructions. They seem very strange and very specific. She has to clean the kitchen; make a plain cake; feed Mustard; tell Sig to practice swimming; read a book entitled 'How to be the Clock Tower Girl'; and only open the door to wizards.

By now I imagine you are filled with questions. I won't answer all of them because, well, this is a five star book, so you need to read it for yourself (quickly head to your bookshop and grab this book today). I will however fill you in about the main characters. You have already met Lucy Broadmeadow. Sig is Sigehelm Effra Aethelwold the Second and he is a small water dragon. I loved the way Lucy can read his emotions which are expressed as colours. He is a very important character so it is lucky you can just call him Sig! Mustard lives in the stable just past the garden wall. You should have spotted Mustard on the cover - yes he is the winged horse but please, if you meet him, do not mention his wings. There is also Boy**, an apprentice wizard and a sky-ulf who Lucy names Midnight. As you read this book you will discover each of these characters has a back story and that participating in this quest will help them answer their own life questions.

"Everything is a journey. Whether it is climbing the stairs to deliver supper of sweeping the Spires or stepping inside the clock when it's your time. The most important part of a journey is not who is by your side, where you have come from, and where you are going. It is you. How will you approach the journey. Will you be brave? Will you be kind? Will you be happy?"

Wait a minute though, why haven't I talked about the Ticking Witch? Well, that's the crux of this story - she is missing and it will be Lucy's job, with the help of her friends, to find her and in turn restore the balance to the Kingdoms. Yes, this will be very dangerous and yes Lucy will be frightened at times and filled with doubt that she can do this but (spoiler alert) of course she can. 

Why is the Ticking Witch missing? What happened to the other past Clock Tower Girls? I cannot tell you - you do need to read this book.

Do spend time taking a close look at the cover of The Witches of Winderry Spires (Lucy Zhang) - I didn't do this until I finished my reading. I am glad I waited because it is only after reading this book that all the tiny cover details will make sense - even the little green ribbon in Lucy's hair!

Reading The Witches of Winderry Spires (I know this sounds strange) I kept feeling that Karen Foxlee was smiling a huge smile as wove her storytelling magic with her special heroine Lucy Broadmeadow and her unique cast of friends. And the setting made me think of the television program Midsummer Murders. I could so easily visualise the village and all the groups of magical people who arrive when Lucy summons them for the Grand Counsel.

When I saw this book I just knew it HAD to be fabulous. It is hardcover with green edges to the paper and spot varnish used for the embossed title. This book comes from Allen and Unwin (thanks for the advance cop) and it is only AUS$24.99. Today - 29th September - is publication day. Huge congratulations to Karen Foxlee (and her publisher) this book is certain to one that readers aged 9+ will enjoy and it could also be a wonderful book to read in your family. I also expect to see The Witches of Winderry Spires on the CBCA Younger Readers 2027 Notables list. 

Image source: Allen and Unwin

Publisher blurb: No one ever knows what happens to the Clock Tower Girls ... The last thing Lucy Broadmeadow expected was to become the Clock Tower Girl and be sent to live with the witch at faraway Winderry Spires. But when she arrives the witch is missing, the clock won't stop chiming and an injured winged wolf-pup appears – all signs that there is a Rift tearing the world apart. Lucy might not be magical, but she is kind and brave. And she does have the help of her new companions – Sig the water dragon and Mustard the gloomy Pegasus. Can Lucy and her friends find the witch, save the wolf-pup and heal the Rift before time runs out?

If you enjoyed The Phantom Toll Booth, you will love The Witches of Winderry Spires. The cast of eccentric characters that I already mentioned who arrive for the Grand Counsel are especially delightful and reminded me of the creative names used by authors like Margaret Mahy.

Do take a minute to read the labels I have assigned this post. You could talk about book tropes with your library group or young reading companion:

• The Chosen One or the Everyman turned Hero
• The Quest
• The Hidden World
• The Helpful Friends
• Overcoming fear and facing danger
• Destiny

Companion books to read after The Witches of Winderry Spires:

The Hotel Witch

A Wolf for a Spell

The Girl who drank the Moon

Yesterday Crumb and the Storm in a Teacup

You may know I am a big fan of Karen Foxlee - here are other books I previously talked about. It is interesting that this newest book references the main character in Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy**. 

Lenny's Book of Everything

Dragon Skin

The Wondrous Tale of Lavender Wolfe

A Most Magical Girl

Ophelia and the marvelous boy

The Wrath of the Woolington Wyrm