Witch Wars

by Sibeal Pounder, Laura Ellen Anderson (Illustrator)

Overview

When Fran the Fabulous Fairy turns up in Tiga Whicabim's shed to tell her she's a witch, Tiga doesn't believe her. Or at least not until Fran points out that TIGA WHICABIM is actually an anagram of I AM A BIG WITCH . . . and takes Tiga through the drainpipes to compete in a challenge to crown the next Top Witch of Ritzy City. No one expects a witch from 'above the pipes' to be a serious contender, but soon Tiga and her new best friend, Peggy Pigwiggle, are at the head of the pack! Does one of them have what it takes to win?

There will be spells. There will be shrunken heads. But most of all, there will be serious shoe envy. Perfect for fans of Sarah Mlynowski's Whatever After series and filled with hilarious black-and-white illustrations, delectable dresses, and ridiculous riddles, Witch Wars is whimsical, magical fun!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781408852651
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	06/16/2015
Series:	Witch Wars Series
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.08(w) x 7.17(h) x (d)
Age Range:	7 - 9 Years

About the Author

Sibéal Pounder has written for publications including the Guardian, fashion-trend forecaster WGSN, Vogue.com, and the Financial Times, where she was the resident philanthropy columnist for the How to Spend It section for four years-interviewing everyone from Vivienne Westwood to Veronica Etro. Witch Wars is her debut novel, and its wonderful world was inspired by Dublin, her mother's city of birth and a place where Sibéal spent lots of time.

@sibealpounder

Laura Ellen Anderson is a professional children's book author and illustrator (that is when she's not trying to take over the world or fighting sock-stealing monsters). She spends every waking hour creating and drawing and would quite like to live on the moon when humans finally make it possible.

www.lauraellenanderson.co.uk

@Lillustrator

Editorial Reviews

10/26/2015
Tiga Whicabim doesn’t know that she’s a witch until she is nominated to compete in Witch Wars, a reality TV show where nine witches, all nine years old, compete to rule Sinkville, an enchanted land beneath the human world. After a fashion-forward fairy named Fran whisks Tiga down to a world she never knew existed, the young witch quickly falls in love with Ritzy City and the excitement of Sinkville. If she doesn’t win Witch Wars, however, she’ll be banished back to her awful life with the dreadful Miss Heks, playing with slugs and eating cheese water for every meal. With all the self-aware fun of reality TV—including riddles, races, and tabloid reports spotlighting the losers—debut author Pounder blends the particular, peculiar power of elimination competitions with the magic of fairies and witches, a winning combination. Anderson’s b&w illustrations—part Edward Gorey, part fashion illustration—bring an appropriately eerie style to the story. Tiga’s unlikely allies and quick thinking take her far, but Pounder leaves things just unsettled enough to pique interest in the next book in this planned series. Ages 8–12. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

A colorful and unpredictable cast of characters. . . Silliness, riddles, puns, and many magical mishaps make this a great choice to help fill the elusive 'funny book' hole that exists in many collections.” —School Library Journal

"Debut author Pounder blends the particular, peculiar power of elimination competitions with the magic of fairies and witches, a winning combination. Anderson’s b&w illustrations—part Edward Gorey, part fashion illustration—bring an appropriately eerie style to the story." —Publishers Weekly

"Pounder’s entertaining first novel is packed with silliness, suspense, magic, and a surprising final turn. Humorous gray-scale cartoons add to the appeal . . . . Promises good fun for middle-graders." —Booklist

"Pounder's comic romp froths with eccentric characters and whimsical worldbuilding, while Anderson contributes abundant charming drawings . . . . A sweet little magical tale with at least one sequel on the way." —Kirkus Reviews

"The wide-eyed figures of Anderson’s multicultural cast have an energetic silliness that complements the bubbly humor of the text. Fans of Hale’s Ever After High series . . . will find this to be an enchanting counterpart to those books." —BCCB

From the Publisher

09/01/2015
Gr 3–6—Tiga Whicabim doesn't know she's a witch until Fran the fairy shows up in her tiny shed of a home, shows her that her name is an anagram for I AM A BIG WITCH, and takes her down the sink pipes to Ritzy City. There she discovers that witches' hats are only pointy due to the journey up the pipes to our world, that witches love jam, and that she is one of nine girls slated to battle it out in the Witch Wars. The winner of Witch Wars gets to rule Ritzy City as Top Witch, but the stakes are higher for Tiga. If she loses, she'll have to go back to her shed with her horrible caretaker, who feeds her only cheese water. Not to mention the fact that she doesn't know a single spell. She'll have to work hard to outsmart mean girl witches Felicity Bat and Aggie Hoof, but luckily her new friend Peggy vows to help. The young witches, along with the sassy little fairies, make for a colorful and unpredictable cast of characters. Whimsical black-and-white illustrations throughout help readers envision this fantastical locale. VERDICT Silliness, riddles, puns, and many magical mishaps make this a great choice to help fill the elusive "funny book" hole that exists in many collections.—Mandy Laferriere, Fowler Middle School, Frisco, TX

School Library Journal

2015-09-16
A girl dives down a drainpipe to discover a world of witches, and everybody there thinks she's one too. Tiga is sure she isn't a witch—she doesn't even know any spells!—but she finds that against her will someone has entered her into the Witch Wars annual contest, and if she doesn't win she'll have to go back to the surface world "above the pipes." Up there she has an awful life with the horrible Miss Heks, who feeds her only water flavored with moldy cheese. But Fran, a tiny fairy, has convinced her to descend through the sink to the wonderful Ritzy City in the land of Sinkville, where Tiga wishes to remain forever. She soon meets Peggy Pigwiggle, a fellow Witch Wars contestant who becomes her friend, in contrast to another competitor, the rather nasty Felicity Bat, who cheats. Fortunately the contest does not involve actual combat. Instead the contestants solve riddles to eliminate their opponents. Pounder's comic romp froths with eccentric characters and whimsical worldbuilding, while Anderson contributes abundant charming drawings. Nobody's ever in any real danger, although Tiga, Fran, and Peggy certainly find themselves in some difficult situations. Fun comes from solving their problems. And can Tiga possibly win? Maybe so and maybe not, but readers can be sure everything will come out all right. A sweet little magical tale with at least one sequel on the way. (Paranormal comedy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews