Author(s): Jessica Miller

Junior Fiction | Léa's Book Talkers

A charming and spellbinding tale, The Hotel Witch is beloved children's author Jessica Miller's new novel for a wide range of middle-grade readers

Sometimes the simplest spells are the most powerful.Sibyl is the apprentice hotel witch at the splendid Grand Mirror Hotel. She is busy each day, under the watchful eye of her grandmother, drawing useful spell patterns to keep the hotel guests happy- spells to shine shoes, spells to make the pastry chef's cakes rise, spells to remove dust and spells to return lost things like hats and gloves to their owners.But Sibyl dreams of other possibilities-possibilities like her mother returning from the Black Mountains, and like Grandma letting her draw spell patterns from the Book of Advanced and Dangerous Magic.When Grandma gets stuck in last Tuesday, somewhere on the hotel's thirteenth floor, Sibyl must perform all the magic herself. Just when a very mysterious and perplexing problem arises and a very important guest must be taken care of.With the help of her friend Ahmed, the lift attendant, an aloof cat called Alfonso and Dora the concierge, Sibyl must solve the mystery of the missing shadows and find the right spell pattern to get them back.Will she open the Book of Advanced and Dangerous Magic? And will it contain the answers she needs?The Hotel Witch is a magical tale of determination, love and the power of imagination, filled with quirky characters who sparkle and delight.

CONSTANT READER STAFF REVIEW: Léa

Who wouldn't love to stay in a hotel where all requests and queries will be answered by magic?  

The Grand Mirror Hotel has a great reputation, so the witch apprentice Sibyl is under pressure to perform well. Unfortunately, focusing is not really Sibyl’s strength and she is often caught daydreaming of adventures and bigger spells than the domestic ones she is used to. But her skills and full attention are desperately needed when various mysterious troubles appear while her grandma has gone missing!

This book is as much a charming and cosy read as the magical place it is set in, and its mystery will tickle younger readers’ interest and keep them captivated! Though a witch, Sibyl is a very relatable kid, playful and imaginative but also at times full of self-doubt. I loved watching her grow more confident as she started solving problems on her own. Very inspiring!