REVIEW: A Witch's Kitchen

A Witch's Kitchen
Author:  Dianna Sanchez

**I received a copy of this upcoming book from Dreaming Robot Press via NetGalley in exhange for a fair, honest review.**

Ludmilla, who prefers to be called Millie, is a terrible witch. She would much prefer to spend her days cooking, but to make her mother happy she struggles to learn her spells, potions and incantations. But, every time she tries, the results are horrific. Millie's sleep potions become chamomile tea, and potions meant to turn enemies into toads turn into chocolate instead. Then she's offered a chance to attend school with others from the Enchanted Forest. She accepts the challenge. It's embarrassing for a witch to attend school with non-witches, but Millie figures that school will be better than staying at home being embarrassed by her lack of witch-skills. At school she makes friends with all sorts of magical kids -- pixies, leprechauns, elves, and others. As Millie gains confidence, her magical skills begin to appear. The only problem is that she has very little control over them. Millie finds herself still questioning whether she is really a witch. Her friends decide to help her by taking her to see her father in the Logical Realm, a land with no magic. Maybe a trip to Salem, MA will help her discover if she will ever be a real witch.

This middle-grade book was such a fun read! It was nice to see the main character learn and gain confidence in herself. She had to endure teasing, bullies and self-doubt over her problems with magic. This story has a great message for girls and boys alike. Be who you are! The book is well-written. The story pace was perfect. The book got its message across without getting preachy or too dry. Sanchez incorporates a lot of age-appropriate humor to make this a very enjoyable, middle-grade story.

As soon as I finished reading the galley of this book, I went online and pre-ordered a copy for my granddaughter. I think this book has an excellent lesson in it for girls. Be proud of what makes you unique and always be who you are!! Plus, I know she will giggle at all the silly jokes.  :)

This is Dianna Sanchez's first book. What an excellent debut book!! A Witch's Kitchen releases September 25th! This would be a great Halloween read for 8-12 year olds! (And adults too! I loved it!!)