The group really enjoyed the storytelling of Abi Elphinstone, Catherine Fisher, Katherine Rundell and Piers Torday, and if you like those authors, too, then you’ll be bowled over by this book. She was then a Waterstones bookseller before becoming an editorial assistant in children’s books at a publisher in Oxford.

I liked that this book didn't end on a cliffhanger, and next book seems to follow a completely different story. Thinking about it, my problem may be that I didn’t see much difference between Sorsha (the curser) and Betty (our heroine) voice-wise, so I mixed them up between reads.It’s really good and if you read my last review about Keeper of the Lost Cities andstarted reading it you would like A Pinch of Magic by Michelle Harrison! Finished my re-read of A Pinch of Magic and I love it even more than I did when I read it last year. This is an ingenious and compelling story and like the age-old tales that are its inspiration, pitches love, generosity and forgiveness against human cruelty. Clever, tense, beautifully written and extremely atmospheric, A Pinch of Magic is riveting, and simply fantastic. I’d be interested to know what percentage of children’s books are part of a series and whether this links to fewer reviews – the longer a series goes on the harder it seems to get media attention.

Trapped by a family curse on the dreary island of Crowstone, the three Widdershins sisters ache for more exciting lives. A good choice for middle grade fairy-tale fans craving something with an occasionally dark twist, and some sisterly double crossing. Everyone seemed to have a criminal past, but then the whole adventure hinged on releasing a prisoner who promised them the secret of breaking the curse.I understand I'm not the target audience, and I'm sure younger readers would be totally satisfied by the conclusion but I just found myself feeling like this lacked a little extra spark of something different. Betty Widdershins and her two sisters live with their bad-tempered Granny in the Poacher’s Pocket, a rowdy, tumbledown inn on the dismal island of Crowstone. A spellbinding middle grade fantasy about three sisters--adventurous Betty, curious Charlie, and proper Fliss--who go on a quest to break the curse that's haunted their family for generations. The plot also takes turns I couldn’t have expected because I didn’t know how the sisters were going to come out victorious. And their progression through the book only added to my love for them, so much so that I’m itching to read the next book immediately.

Following the publication of the latest book in the series, A Storm of Sisters, we spoke to Michelle about her enchanting stories and the books she loves.The Widdershins sisters, Betty, Fliss and Charlie are trapped, prevented from leaving their home on Crowstone by an ancient family curse. Granny then breaks the devasting news that all Widdershins’ girls are trapped by an ancient curse and if they ever leave Crowstone, they will die by the following sunrise. when I’ve written them into yet another sticky spot, but I know I’ll always bring the sisters – and the reader – back to a safe place. With an involved story and lyrical writing style, this isn’t an easy read for less confident readers. Their only good fortune comes in the shape of three mismatched items, handed down to them from generations of their ancestors - a carpet bag, a mermaid looking glass, and a set of dolls - and all these items come complete with a little pinch of magic.

But instead of an adventure, Betty and her sisters, Fliss and Charlie, are given of a set of magical objects, each with its own powers: a scruffy carpet bag, a set of wooden nesting dolls, and a gilt-framed mirror. Bursting with humour, energy and plenty of heart, this entertaining tale is guaranteed to get readers in the festive mood.I think what’s lovely about LoveReading4Kids is that it’s a trusted place of thoughtful and considered reviews, somewhere families and teachers can depend on for age appropriate recommendations because it’s created by book lovers and experts. I also enjoyed the Gobbolino stories by Ursula Moray Williams, and the humour and darkness of Roald Dahl. It dragged at the beginning which makes sense why this book is 400 pages, it could've easily been cut down to 300. One in three of all books sold is a children's book yet children's books only get 4% of review space in the media.