The sixth graders at Extraordinary are disappointed to learn that their school trip to a creepy castle is less of a vacation and more of a lesson in teamwork. And is the castle HAUNTED?
Bea is SO excited to be on a field trip to Cadabra Castle—it’s the SPOOKIEST castle she's EVER seen! She can’t wait to explore somewhere new with her classmates. But the principal, Ms. Sparks, has other plans—apparently the trip isn’t a vacation, but rather a chance for the students to improve their teamwork. And even scarier for Bea than having to team up with bossy Blair are the rumors that the castle is haunted. But ghosts aren’t real…are they? With black-and-white illustrations throughout.
Told through Bea's diary entries, the Diary of an Accidental Witch series invites readers to follow Bea on a humorous journey of self-discovery as she learns where she truly belongs.
Gr 2-4–Bea Black is on a school trip to Cadabra Castle, and she and her friends are expecting a magical time—they are witches, after all. Their first activity is a scavenger hunt, where they must learn to work together and get along. Later, they discover the castle is haunted by a ghost, and Bea is teamed up with Blaire, who she does not get along with. The story is structured like a diary, but the frequent, short entries—sometimes just minutes apart—make it feel choppy. A more cohesive approach with one or two entries per day summarizing events would have improved the flow. Additionally, many pages include footnotes that are quite small; integrating them into the main text with a different font or emphasis could have made them easier to follow. Black-and-white doodle-style illustrations appear on every page, adding personality and energy to the story. The magical adventure is engaging, and the characters feel relatable, making this a fun read despite its structural drawbacks. VERDICT A fine purchase for large libraries and where magical books are especially popular. --School Library Journal
The sixth graders at Extraordinary are disappointed to learn that their school trip to a creepy castle is less of a vacation and more of a lesson in teamwork. And is the castle HAUNTED?
Bea is SO excited to be on a field trip to Cadabra Castle—it’s the SPOOKIEST castle she's EVER seen! She can’t wait to explore somewhere new with her classmates. But the principal, Ms. Sparks, has other plans—apparently the trip isn’t a vacation, but rather a chance for the students to improve their teamwork. And even scarier for Bea than having to team up with bossy Blair are the rumors that the castle is haunted. But ghosts aren’t real…are they? With black-and-white illustrations throughout.
Told through Bea's diary entries, the Diary of an Accidental Witch series invites readers to follow Bea on a humorous journey of self-discovery as she learns where she truly belongs.
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Gr 2-4–Bea Black is on a school trip to Cadabra Castle, and she and her friends are expecting a magical time—they are witches, after all. Their first activity is a scavenger hunt, where they must learn to work together and get along. Later, they discover the castle is haunted by a ghost, and Bea is teamed up with Blaire, who she does not get along with. The story is structured like a diary, but the frequent, short entries—sometimes just minutes apart—make it feel choppy. A more cohesive approach with one or two entries per day summarizing events would have improved the flow. Additionally, many pages include footnotes that are quite small; integrating them into the main text with a different font or emphasis could have made them easier to follow. Black-and-white doodle-style illustrations appear on every page, adding personality and energy to the story. The magical adventure is engaging, and the characters feel relatable, making this a fun read despite its structural drawbacks. VERDICT A fine purchase for large libraries and where magical books are especially popular. --School Library Journal
