THE DEMON NOTEBOOK

Wouldn’t it be great if magic spells worked? Maybe…not.

Grace, Jenny, Rachel, Adie and Una have been dabbling in magic. They have tried spell after spell from The Great Book of the Occult, but none have worked. Andrew didn’t pee his pants in French class. Mr. McQuaid never talked gobbledygook in history class. They’re complete failures as witches…until they try the Ouija board in school on the night of the full moon. The board works, starting a Latin phrase, and the pages of their notebook of failed spells magically flip back and forth. Scary, but no big deal—until their spells start working, from the most recent on back. It turns out that magic is not that much fun when you do get exactly what you ask for, particularly considering the first spell they cast was a wish that the school bully would be hit by a bus. Now it’s a race against time to stop the magic and save Una from the demon that’s possessed her. Thankfully, they have a crazy, old cat lady to help them out. Irish author McGann’s debut is funny, a bit scary and surprisingly realistic, given the premise; she nails the relationships among the kids with ease. Preteens will enjoy the easy read, identify with the characters and ask for more.

Here’s hoping the sequel jumps the pond soon.