Clementine Mitch is a secret witcherina – a witch who desperately wants to become a ballerina. When her wish unexpectedly comes true, she finds herself whisked away to High Kicks Girls’ Ballet Academy in the human world. Unfortunately not all goes to plan. Without a wand, and with nasty rivals causing mayhem at every turn, Clementine has to find a way to pass the Academy’s entry audition so she can fulfill her dream.
I’m liking
A Witch Can Switch is the first book in a new series; ‘The Magical Adventures of Clementine Mitch’ by New Zealand author Jan Oldham. Oldham has created a fun, fast-paced adventure for girls aged eight to 12 years old with a winning combination of magic, ballet, secrets, glitter and chocolate chip biscuits.
Clementine is a likeable character with a tendency to create unintentional hilarity, and is sure to appeal to younger readers. She deals with real life problems familiar to children – bullies, new friendships, overcoming challenges and scary teachers in a gutsy and kind way.
Things that made me go hmmmm
The story moves at a cracking pace, especially in the first chapter. More time could have been spent building the world of Clementine and explaining how magic in this world works. My seven year old found this first chapter perplexing and had many questions that didn’t really get fully answered in the subsequent story, but might in future books.
The conclusion
Lovers of the ever popular ‘Rainbow Magic’ fairy series for youngsters, will enjoy ‘A Witch can Switch’. It’s a light-hearted read with lots of potential for future fun adventures.
A Witch can Switch is published by The Story Caravan and has a RRP of $19.99
