October 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.