Sadie's Story

Nine-year-old Sadie is in a sour mood after her two friends go off on vacation without her. Her hapless parents offer no comfort, so she has to make do with her cat for company until a small witch takes up residence in the plastic playhouse by the garage. Morgan, a.k.a. Ms. M., is a combination of Mary Poppins (with her briskly sympathetic, no-nonsense demeanor) and a stand-up comedian. She may be somewhat unreliable with spells and hexes, but she has several practical skills such as making soup in her cauldron and cleaning out gutters with her broom. She also has problems of her own, having lost track of both her cat and her best friend, but she’s great company, quick with a gag (where do the best pencils come from? Pennsylvania, of course), and, best of all, she’s a birdwatcher witch, or ornithomancer. Sadie gets bitten by the birding bug herself and is lured out of her snit by a fresh awareness of the natural world as well as a new friendship with pigeon couple Bob and Lois. The sprightly prose will pull in chapter book readers, and spot illustrations keep the page design lively. An appendix covers birding tips for beginners. sarah ellis

Nine-year-old Sadie is in a sour mood after her friends vacation without her. Then a small witch moves into Sadie's playhouse. Ms. M. is a birdwatcher witch, or ornithomancer; bitten by the birding bug, Sadie is lured out of her snit by a fresh awareness of nature. Sprightly prose will pull in readers, and spot illustrations keep the pages lively. Birding tips are appended.