Heidi Heckelbeck casts a spell

Gr 1-3-Heidi Heckelbeck, a witch, is upset about a girl in her second-grade class who is unaccountably mean to her. When she gets fed up with Melanie, she finds a way to make her nemesis forget her lines for the school play. Heidi spends much of the book assembling ingredients for her spell, such as a puppy tooth and a piece of straw. When she works her magic and Melanie starts to cry, she feels bad, reverses the spell, and everything works out well. The typeface is large and clear, and the word choice is simple. Small to full-page pictures prompt early readers on every page. This is a slight story with no surprises. There is little humor or suspense, but its sheer simplicity might make it a rewarding choice for early or struggling readers.-Amelia Jenkins, Juneau Public Library, AK (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Frequent illustrations punctuate zippy early chapter books about spunky eight-year-old Heidi Heckelbeck. Lucy Lancaster befriends the formerly homeschooled Heidi, but Melanie Maplethorpe is inexplicably mean toward Heidi. Heidi's big secret is that she and her mother are actually witches, but this twist comes late in the first story (Secret) and seems almost superfluous. [Review covers these Heidi Heckelbeck titles: Heidi Heckelbeck and the Cookie Contest, Heidi Heckelbeck Casts a Spell, and Heidi Heckelbeck Has a Secret.] (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A SPELL FOR SMELL-A-NIE       Abracadabra!   Alakazam!   Presto change-o!   Heidi Heckelbeck flipped open her Book of Spells . The book had been a gift from her grandmother, who was a witch. Heidi's mother was also a witch, as well as her Aunt Trudy and, of course, Heidi. Heidi's dad and little brother, Henry, were just regular people.   The book's worn pages crinkled as she thumbed through them.   "Bingo!" Heidi said to herself.   She had found the spell:         Heidi had discovered it last night. Tucked inside the page was a piece of paper. Heidi unfolded it. It was a list of all the rotten things Melanie Maplethorpe had done to Heidi on her first day of school yesterday.   Mean Things Melanie Did to Me     1. She called me smelly.   2. She gave me five dirty looks for no reason!   3. She put a jack-o'-lantern face on my self-portrait.   4. She made me get cast as a scary apple tree in the class play.   "I'm going to teach Princess Smell-a-nie a lesson once and for all," said Heidi.   In three weeks Heidi's second-grade class would be performing The Wizard of Oz . Heidi planned to cast the spell on opening night.   Imagine how meanie Melanie will feel when she forgets all her lines, thought Heidi. She could hardly wait.         Heidi studied the list of ingredients she would need for the spell.     1 eye of a gingerbread man     1 black plastic spider     1 piece of straw     1 teaspoon of salt     3 cornflakes     2 sour gummy worms     1 puppy tooth     1 tablespoon of catnip     3 splashes of water   Wow , thought Heidi. Where am I going to find all this stuff? It would be a treasure hunt, that was for sure. She copied the ingredients onto a piece of paper and stuck it in her pocket. Then she read the directions carefully.         Mix ingredients together in a red sand pail. Close your eyes and place one hand over the pail. Hold your Witches of Westwick medallion in your other hand. Chant the following words:         I'd better get started, thought Heidi.         Excerpted from Heidi Heckelbeck Casts a Spell by Wanda Coven All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.