Witch Wars; Sibéal Pounder, illustrated by Laura Ellen Anderson

Witch Wars is the first in a magical series of whimsical fantasy adventures from Sibéal Pounder starring an ordinary girl (at least she thinks she is ordinary) who finds herself transported to a magical land.

Nine-year-old Tiga Whicabim has no idea that she is a witch until Fran the Fabulous Fairy explodes into her life and rearranges the letters of her name to I AM A BIG WITCH. Tiga finds herself whisked down the sink pipes to the wonderful witch world of Ritzy City and quickly learns that she has been nominated to compete in the most important of reality TV competitions…Witch Wars, where the winner is declared Top Witch and gets to rule Sinkville. But will Tiga have what it takes to win or will she find herself banished back to a life with Miss Heks, eating cheese water and hanging out with slugs in the garden shed…

Witch Wars is all kinds of witchy fun and readers will love joining Tiga, Fran and a host of other witches - some friendly, some not - on a madcap adventure around Sinkville (the land below the pipes). The action is never dull as Tiga explores her new world and quickly falls in love with everything about it. Central to the action is the competition and all manner of mayhem and mischief ensues as contestants race around Sinkville dashing from place to place using hidden portals and relying on teamwork, their wits and ingenuity to hopefully finish first.

Witch Wars has all the fun of a reality TV show. The competition sees the setting of riddles and a race to the finish to be crowned Top Witch. A camera crew of fairies follow the contestants around, eliminations are regular as contestants fall foul to having their shrivelled head squashed before disappearing in a poof of smoke, and of course there is the obligatory interview with the reporter that is presented in a newspaper that follows the elimination of each contestant.

The world that Pounder has imagined is such fun. You’ll struggle to find any cauldrons, warts or crooked noses in Ritzy City. The city is as fabulous as it sounds and the witches who live here are all about glitz and glam, and should that be in short supply, Fran is always on hand with some glittery dust. The black and white city is a bustling place with stylish shops, delectable eateries and fashion conscious residents who wouldn’t be seen without a diamond handbag or a wide-brimmed had. Despite Sinkville being black and white, you could not imagine a more colourful place and Laura Ellen Anderson’s awesome artwork brings the city and its residents to life. Pounder’s wonderful descriptions and Anderson’s artwork make for the perfect pairing.

Recommended for 7+.