Witch tricks by Sibeal Pounder

Witch Wars book 6. Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2018. ISBN 9781408894125
(Age: 9+) Witch Tricks follows the concurrent and intersecting antics of the Witches and Fairies of Sinkville. (Ever wondered what lies beyond the plughole?) While Fran the Fabulous Fairy schemes to be the star of a TV wrestling show called 'Fairy Fightz', Tiga Whicabim and Fluffanora Brew are not having much luck in joining the exclusive secret society of the Points. The girls in the Points are trying their hand at a spell to bring the Ritzy Six back to Pearl Mountain so they can be taught how to wreak havoc by the best in the business. Meanwhile, we are left wondering why Felicity Bat is laying low and talking to her boots, which are suddenly very heavy.
The Points are surprisingly successful at conjuring forth the Ritzy Six who dash off to Pearl Mountain before the reader can blink. If you don't know where that is, check the illustrator's map. Tiga and Fluffanora, aided by Peggy Pigwiggle, must somehow beat the both Ritzy Six and the Points to the top of Pearl mountain to keep Sinkville on an even keel. The journey to the mountain top is eventful and takes up a lot of the story. While Fran is incapacitated, Patricia the TV show Producer, has to be very inventive to save the next episode of 'Fairy Fightz'. Pounder manages to keep her reader's in the loop by visiting the set of 'Fairy Fightz' and writing articles for the Ritzy City Post, when she is not checking in on Felicity and her heavy boots (complete with a shrunken Panda) at Linden House.
Chatty like all their adventures, you'll have to listen carefully to know how the witches and fairies deal with the infamous Ritzy Six. One high point is Aggie Hoof's joke about what Felicity should name her Panda. Illustrations by Laura Ellen Anderson help new readers to place the numerous characters - be they witches or fairies. The book finishes with sample chapters from Pounder's latest Bad Mermaids series and a letter about her childhood writing inspirations to likewise inspire young writers. Witch Tricks is definitely a spin-out if you are a pre-teen who likes erratic, plot driven escapism.
Deborah Robins