The Hotel Witch by Jessica Miller

A fun, whimsical tale about love, family, determination,

and the power of imagination. Reading Time

Publisher blurb: Sibyl is the apprentice hotel witch at the splendid Grand Mirror Hotel. She is busy each day drawing useful spell patterns to keep the hotel guests happy: spells to shine shoes, spells to remove dust and spells to return lost belongings like hats and gloves to their owners. But Sibyl dreams of other possibilities – wonderful possibilities like her mother returning from the Black Mountains, and like Grandma letting her draw spell patterns from the Book of Advanced and Dangerous Magic. When Grandma gets stuck in last Tuesday, somewhere on the hotel’s thirteenth floor, Sibyl is left to take charge of all the hotel magic – and to solve a mysterious and perplexing problem. Can she find a way to open the Book of Advanced and Dangerous Magic? And will it contain the spell she needs?

Have you noticed that when you read a book about a young witch you keep anticipating that all her spells will go badly wrong and end in disaster. I certainly did that in this book and yes, that does happen a couple of times, but it is in a minor way even though Sibyl is so easily distracted. I cheered when Sibyl does make her wand work in absolutely perfect ways - some small and one, almost a case of life and death when the Shadowmancer takes nearly every shadow and Sibyl is left to fight this evil woman alone. The changing descriptions of the Shadowmancer are also perfect examples of foreshadowing.

Check out this interview with Joy Lawn and Paperbark words. I think readers aged 9+ will enjoy The Hotel Witch - it has 278 pages and uses a larger font. All the extra quirky characters are fun too - Ahmed the elevator attendant, Alphonso the hotel cat and Dora the concierge not to mention the crazy hotel guests. The hotel rooms are also quirky and fun to imagine. The way Sibyl finds the right spell is a delightful detail in this story and not one I have encountered in a story previously - I will leave you to discover this for yourself. You might need to purchase your own magic wand after reading The Hotel Witch - I would certainly like one.

Jessica Miller has written a wonderful story that will keep the audience captivated and enchanted.  This novel will appeal to those lovers of fantasy and adventure. The Hotel Witch is filled with excitement and mystery, friendship, love and self-belief. Read Plus

The Hotel Witch deals with themes of family and friendships, but there is a real focus on learning to work with the things about yourself that others may deem a flaw and how to use these things in a way to benefit you so that they turn into a strength rather than a flaw. This is a lovely, magical book about overcoming obstacles and accepting yourself for who you truly are. A must read for any magic lovers out there who are looking for a bit of fun. Story Links

I picked up The Hotel witch in a school library partly because I liked the cover, I do enjoy stories set in hotels and I recognised the author name because I previously read these two:

Elizabeth and Zenobia

The Republic of Birds

The Black Rabbit by Philippa Leathers

It is a beautiful sunny day. Rabbit steps out and sees a huge black rabbit is following him. He tries running away but that doesn't work. He tries hiding but when he steps out from behind a tree that pesky Black Rabbit is waiting for him. Rabbit runs away again - this time into the deep, dark woods. Oh no - a very real predator is waiting. Rabbit runs again back out of the forest and this time - (spoiler alert) - the Big Black Rabbit somehow saves his life!

"Rabbit smiled and somehow he knew that the Black Rabbit was smiling back. Hand in hand, they bounced off across the field."

Publisher blurb: Rabbit has a problem. There's a large black rabbit chasing him. No matter where he runs--behind a tree, over the river--the shadowy rabbit follows. Finally in the deep, dark wood, Rabbit loses his nemesis--only to encounter a real foe! Kids who like to be in on the secret will revel in this humorous look at shadows and friendship.

Teachers often ask for books that explore shadows. Oddly, while we see shadows everywhere on a sunny day, the concept of shadows and how they form and change is quite a complex one. Using picture books such as the ones you can see in this post are a perfect way to explore this science topic. This book, The Black Rabbit, was first published in 2013 but luckily the paperback edition is still available. Here is the web site for Philippa Leathers.

You are sure to think Peter Pan, but here are some other companion reads:

Here is the Kirkus review

Suzy Lee is the 2022 winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award

Read this post about Moonbear 

And here are some more books I would like to explore:

Read the Kirkus Review

Here is my post about April Pulley Sayre

Read more about the illustrator Sydney Smith

See inside this book here.

Here are a couple of Non Fiction books to read to younger children about shadows and you could explore the shelves with other books about light [535]:

My Shadow

BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,

And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.

He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;

And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.

The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow—

Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;

For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball,

And he sometimes gets so little that there's none of him at all.

He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play,

And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.

He stays so close beside me, he's a coward you can see;

I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!

One morning, very early, before the sun was up,

I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;

But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,

Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.