Wildseed Witch by Marti Dumas

 

Title: Wildseed Witch

Author: Marti Dumas

Illustrations: Erick Davila

Publisher: Amulet Books

ISBN: 9781419755613

 

Review:

Hasani is a YouTuber. She has a channel called “Makeup on The Cheap” where she shares tips on how to make your makeup sparkle. Her favorite YouTuber is AnyaDoodle whom she follows and takes her advice to her followers religiously. Her goal, now that summer is here and school is out, is to get one hundred followers. Another very serious task is to get her parents back together. This may be tough since her dad has a new live-in girlfriend who is popular on Instagram. On the way to spend a weekend with her dad, Hasani didn’t like the attention her dad was giving the girlfriend and she figured that is why she hadn’t seen him in a while. At a bridge during busy traffic Hasani’s anger reacted in a very strange way, she had magic that created a conundrum of Morning Glories growing wild and out of control right then and there.

At home, an unexpected visitor is waiting for Hasani. She has been invited to a private and distinguished charm school for witches at Les Belles Demoiselles. At the distinguished school Hasani finds that she is a Wildseed which means she can’t control her magic, she doesn’t come from a magic lineage and that makes her a target for the other witches who come from very well-to-do families. For Hasani, there are many rules to follow, she does not know anything about etiquette, she doesn’t have a phone signal to post to her fans on YouTube, and she is stuck at a summer school how will she get her parents back together. Hasani must figure out a way to navigate her new world and accomplish the goals she set by the end of the summer. 

Author Marti Dumas has created a fun adventure for young readers. The characters are recognizable and engaging. The main character pushes through her anxiety and obstacles in a way that readers will be excited and root for her. Parents and teachers can use this as a read-aloud to prompt discussions about natural gifts, goal setting, family, and bullying.