The Witch of Woodland
by Laurel Snyder (Author)
A young girl preparing for her bat mitzvah discovers she has mysterious abilities in this magical contemporary coming-of-age story from the beloved author of Orphan Island.
Hi, whoever is reading this. I'm Zipporah Chava McConnell, but everyone calls me Zippy. Things used to be simple--until a few weeks ago. Now my best friend, Bea, is acting funny; everyone at school thinks I'm weird; and my mom is making me start preparing for my bat mitzvah, even though we barely ever go to synagogue. In fact, the only thing that still seems to make sense is magic.
See, the thing is, I'm a witch. I've been casting spells since I was little. And even if no one else wants to believe in magic anymore, it's always made sense to me, always felt true.
But I was still shocked the day I found a strange red book at the library and somehow...I conjured something. A girl, actually. A beautiful girl with no memory, and wings like an angel. You probably don't believe me, but I swear it's the truth. Miriam is like no one else I've ever met. She's proof that magic is real. And, it's hard to explain this part, but I just know that we're connected. That means it's up to me to help Miriam figure out what she is and where she came from. If I can do that, maybe everything else in my life will start to make sense too.
Anyway, it's worth a try.
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Publishers Weekly
In Atlanta, a Jewish witchcraft enthusiast drafts a book about her 13th year, blending mystical components with problems of ordinary life. Zipporah Chava McConnell's intermarried family are what Zippy thinks of as "like... part-time Jews," so she's taken aback when her mother announces that it's time to prepare for her bat mitzvah. The family attends synagogue for the High Holidays each year, but Zippy doesn't feel like she fits in, and she's not sure about "the whole faith-y part." Her real love is witchcraft, and she's long had an affinity for creating spells. But belief systems and incantations start intertwining when Zippy's Torah reading mentions a sorceress, and they really intermingle when her speaking a Hebrew word accidentally summons a winged being, whom she calls Miriam. Zippy tries to help Miriam recover her memories and return to wherever she's from--the company's nice, too, since Zippy and best friend Bea aren't talking. Structuring the novel as Zippy's accounting of the strange events, Snyder (Endlessly Ever After) leans into the tween's candid, fourth-wall-breaking narration to interrogate interpersonal difficulties and mysteries of faith, resulting in an evolving portrait of a nearly 13-year-old growing up before her own eyes. Ages 8-12. Agent: Tina Dubois, ICM Partners. (May)
Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
Compelling from the first page. There's much to ponder here in friendship, family dynamics, and religion, and Zippy's growth is hard-earned and deserved. — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV013060 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Parents
JUV033020 - Juvenile Fiction | Religious | Jewish
