Whispering to Witches

My daughter loved this book! Here is what she said about it: "It was a lot like Harry Potter, which is good because lots of kids like Harry Potter. I wish I could give it 10 stars, because it definitely deserves it! Anna Dale is a great author and one of the reasons she is so good is because when one thing happens, you can't at all tell that it is really important until you get to the part of the story where it is important."

I can still not get over how much I enjoyed this magical mystery that was packed full of delightful characters, witches, magic, and a very well-plotted story. The cover caught my attention and I wasn't expecting much from it, but from the very first page, I was hooked on Joe Bink's adventure. I won't give away much on the plot (that's what the book synopsis is for!) but I'll tell you what I enjoyed the most; The setting was perfect for the story; christmastime in a small english village, just right for a story about magical witches. The author plants her clues and the story was very well constructed. Also, the author doesn't insult older readers by using childish language. I got through it quite easily without being disappointed by lack of a mature writing style. I look forward to reading Anna Dale's next book and I hope that it is the sequel to Whispering to Witches. Overall, I give this book a 10/10! If you're a fan of Harry Potter (or a fan of good stories in general), I highly reccomend this book for it is just as magical and yet so very different and origional!

Joe Binks couldn't be more peeved that he's forced to spend the Christmas holidays with his Mother, her new husband, and his half-sister, Esme. He had planned on a quiet holiday at home with his loving Father, but all that changed when the phone call came, forcing his Father to drop everything and head to Scotland. Now, on the train ride to Canterbury, this is exactly what Joe is thinking about, until he meets up with a group of witches, and gets off at the wrong train stop, which ultimately leads young Joe to meet up with Twiggy, a girl witch-in-training of his age, who tells Joe all about the greatest magic book in history, and soon Joe and Twiggy are on a mysterious adventure to find what damaging spell was listed on the missing page of "Mabel's Book." As a fan of mystery/fantasy stories, as well as a HUGE Christmas nut, I was ecstatic to find that Anna Dale's first effort WHISPERING TO WITCHES, combined all of these elements into one lovely new children's book. Her vivid descriptions of wind sprites, and adorable, rhyming spells will enchant even the most reluctant reader, while the numerous references to cats, rats, and more animals, will touch the hearts of animal lovers. An absolute must have for all. Erika Sorocco Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

Initially, I was surprised to see Bloomsbury publish a book about a young boy's adventures in a hidden magical world of witches. Surely this was just another Harry Potter clone, I thought. But no - this is a truly excellent little book, which seems to have been somewhat overlooked amidst the recent hype over other less well written children's novels. The pacing is brisk, the characters are well drawn and the multi-stranded plot will keep you guessing to the end. Furthermore, it couldn't be more different than the Harry Potter novels - yet is certain to appeal to many young readers in exactly the same way. The story starts aboard a train, where Joe Binks finds himself in a carriage with some rather odd people; one of them plants something on him, then manoeuvres him off at the wrong station. Unaware of what he's carrying, he stumbles upon a coven of witches, and meets Twiggy, a teenage apprentice witch who helps him solve the mystery he finds himself suddenly embroiled in. It's lots of fun and there's plenty of clues and shoals of red herrings along the way!

I was recommended this book by a friend who, like myself, often get sucked into reading silly books by their pretty covers. But with this one, I was pleasantly surprised! Though it is a tale of a "non-witch" who just happens to run into a coven of witches, it is every bit as magickal as harry potter. A bit of a mystery evolves around our young hero and though it is a children's book, the author does not insult your intelligence by making the ending too easy to figure out. It is a charming story from beginning to end. It was also a pleasant surprise that these witches even celebrate Yule instead of Christmas, just like real witches do! I hope Ms. Dale writes a sequel to this book, I can easily see myself getting caught up in this world. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but I highly recommend this book to everyone - witches and muggles alike!