I thought this would be a great fit, since my students love horror. However, I just don't think it will grab my students attention.

“Begone the Raggedy Witches” is a dynamic middle-grade fantasy with magical crows, witches, and ghosts, and I enjoyed reading it!

There is just so much happening in the story as soon as Mup finds herself in the new Land. The author never has a dull moment as something exciting happens in each chapter. Moreover, I adored the way the author wrote the family dynamics. In the book, Mup’s grandmother is the Queen who wants to control everything like a tyrant. Meanwhile, Mup’s aunty also wants to control but for different reasons. The way Mup deals with the various members of her family, who all have different ideologies, was one of the story’s highlights.

Mup is fantastic in the lead. She is strong, brave, and always tries to do the right thing. The author writes the relationship and support between the characters so nicely. I loved the bond the Mup has with Tipper, Badger, and Crow. They stand by each other as they go on their quest in search of Mup’s father. I adored most of these characters, even the ones like Sealgaire.

However, my only criticism of the tale is the initial pages. The author dives right into the storyline before we even get to know the characters correctly. Initially, I felt as though there was too much to take in. However, once Mup finds herself in the new Land of Witches.

Apart from that, I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline. The book also ends in a cliffhanger that makes you want to read the next book in the series. Overall, “Begone the Raggedy Witches” is a great story to pick up if you are in the mood for a middle-grade fantasy adventure with supernatural elements.

A dark and magical tale of a girl whose family is forced to venture into an unfamiliar and wild world after her father is kidnapped by the witches who wish to reclaim her mother.

This cold and suspenseful story had some unique elements and beautiful worldbuilding. Begone the Raggedy Wiches is a Horror-esque story that carries echoes of classic Fantasy without leaning too heavily on its references. Mup makes for an excellent heroine in this unknown world, curious and audacious, full of life and color against the overall bleakness.

DNF'd about 3/4 of the way through this one. While I enjoyed a lot of the pieces, I struggle to get excited about portal fantasies in general, and found this particular book a teensy bit out of place in the MG category personally.

This book was read for a podcast interview with the author on The Skiffy and Fanty Show. Additionally, it was reviewed and highly recommended on an episode of their Youtube show.

This is such a cute magical middle grade! I loved the characters and the magic! I think fans of magical read will love this.

Irish author Celine Kiernan has created a delightful middle grade series that shows the importance of being a good friend and the importance of family. The action begins almost immediately with the disappearance of Mup's father. It is on the same night that Mup learns that her mother has a magical past. Plenty of colorful characters and an interesting world. I don't read very many middle grade books, but I felt it was light and airy with plenty of kids friendly humor.

Unique, Strange and utterly magical. I think this book is amazing for all ages, will be trying to use it in the classroom.

Amazing.

Thank you Candlewick Press and Netgalley for this ARC.

This was an enjoyable read suitable for middle school aged children. A fun, engaging book based on around witches but also with a deeper moral message.

I love anything about witches and this book was no exception. This is a great fantasy read for middle grade students. Definitely give this one a try!

BEGONE THE RAGGEDY WITCHES by Celine Kiernan is the first book in the Wild Magic fantasy trilogy.

After her father is taken hostage by witches, Mup and her family must avoid the raggedy witches to save him from the queen who also happens to be Mup’s grandmother. Along the way, she meets magical creatures and people in her quest to find her father.

Librarians will find this intermediate grade fantasy popular with children who enjoy folk fantasy, forbidden magic, and Irish mythology. This quick read can be enjoyed as both a standalone and book one of a trilogy.

Published on September 11, 2018 by Candlewick. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Oh, this one was fun! Magical story for middle grade kids. It's a fast read and enchanting, one that will hold their attention. Mup's father is kidnapped by her evil grandmother, who rules the magic world. Mup and her mom go to his rescue. So many dangers, and family members having to make decisions that affect everyone around them. Bust story, but kids will find it appealing. Girl's will find Mup a little toughie to be admired!

A wonderful fantasy that poses the question of "what if everything you thought you knew about yourself turned out to not be the whole truth?" Is their such a thing as destiny? A great story that is engaging for all readers. Students looking for creepy or scary stories will enjoy the raggedy witches, and fans of fantasy novels will enjoy the idea of another dimension. All in all a wonderful read for middle graders and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!

Action packed adventure in a fantastical rhelm of witches and shape shifters.
Recommended for 4-6th grade

This is my first book by Celine Kiernan, but it definitely won't be my last. Although Begone the Raggedy Witches is aimed at young readers, this is a story that will resonate with readers of all ages. It's a story filled with family love, tough choices, and beautifully created magic. Books like this make my heart sing, because they don't talk down to their intended audience. Kiernan weaves an exquisitely vivid world around Mup and her family, and it's one that I guarantee you won't mind being lost in.

Mup is such a delightful character, that I fell into step with her instantly. She's everything that a young girl would look up to, facing everything that comes her way with a kind heart and a brave face. It was so satisfying to read from her point of view, and Kiernan does a stellar job of making her feel just as real as you and I. Her love for her family is fierce, and her tiny spirit even fiercer. In other words, Mup is the perfect person to face the trials that unexpectedly come her way and it makes this book a joy to read.

There is no lack of action here either, and the plot zips along at a pace that perfectly matches Kiernan's elegant writing. Everything is described just enough to settle the reader right into the dark land that Mup's mother Stella finds herself in. There are no punches pulled as war breaks out, and Mup is unfortunate enough to be right in the middle of it. As I said before, I love stories that don't talk down to their readers and this definitely fits that bill. Kiernan shows just how dark things can get, but how brightly one can shine in the midst of that as well.

What else can I say? This book was just a delight to read, and I'm so happy that I had to the chance to review it. There will always be this special place in my heart for Middle Grade books. Authors like Celine Kiernan, who weave magical places for young readers to visit, are my favorite. So, I loved this! I think you might too.

I didn’t like that the two main characters have similar sounding names. I also didn’t like how slow the book started. It took me about 10% in before I started to enjoy the story.
Pearl (I refuse to call her Mup) is a young girl whose world has just been turned upside-down. She finds out that her mom is not quite human and that magic exists. Now they must try and find her kidnapped father.
I really enjoyed that this wasn’t a story of a young girl going off on an adventure by herself. Her mother took her and her baby brother on this adventure.
I hope there will be a 2nd book.
3.5 stars.

Mup, Mam, Tipper and Aunty – I followed them on a magical journey filled with witches, lost clans, and the fight to understand the meaning of family and home.

Mup is a little girl who has the largest moral compass in the world. She is bright enough to ask all the hard questions; “What if no one loved me? What if I was all alone… Would I still be important enough to keep safe?” She understands “how much it robbed from someone, to make them bury their feelings in the hunt for the best or safest word.” She wonders if it is OK to “have a warm and comfy life when other people didn’t”. She is committed to making sure that “no one ever, ever, ever gets left behind.” She teaches all of us that we can be much better.

While this is marked middle grade, I think young children would enjoy having this tale read to them. I loved this book and look forward the next book in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Candlewick Press for a copy

Be gone the raggedy witches is a middle-grade fantasy novel that is fast-paced and full of whimsy. This book is extremely fast-paced, and you’re thrown right in. There isn’t a ton of world building. The fantastical world is mysterious and has a Wonderland type feel. The main character Mup is a sweet girl who wants her family to be together. She is quite innocent and believes everyone, except the raggedy witches she has been warned about, are good people. I enjoyed the cast of characters in this book. My favorite character was Crow, young boy, who lives in the fantastical world that Mup and her family explore in this book. I recommend this novel to lovers of face paced middle grade, and I do plan on reading the next book.

Begone the Raggedy Witches opens with Mup's quiet existence changing dramatically. First, she sees a band of raggedy witches on the way home, then they try to kidnap her mother, her aunt passes away and becomes a ghost, and she gets drawn into a conflict in another world.

Kierman's book is fast paced and pulls the reader in right away as Mup is drawn on a grand adventure full of evil queens, talking animals, and outlaws. The action doesn't stop as Mup tries to reunite her family and find her way back to her old, cozy life. Unlike other children's books, Mup's mother comes along, and is, in fact, at the center of the conflict, rather than Mup herself. While Mup maintains the narrator's focus, her mother's internal conflicts and external struggles are frequently referred to and play a big role in the plot, which really adds an additional layer of interest to the plot.

The ending wraps up with a fair amount of closure, but there is definitely room for a sequel. My one qualm about Raggedy Witches is that there could have been more world-building in the Witches' Realm and it was hard to visualize the world.

This book was an enjoyable read for me. Slightly spooky with the description of the witches but not too scary to read out loud to my 6-year-old. There were a few things that were confusing in the description of characters, like Mup being dark like her Nigerian father but Tipper being pale and blond. It made me feel like I may have missed a description somewhere.

The action started almost right away which I liked because it grabbed my interest. There were some good twists on magic which I thought were unique such as the "colours" and the running across the treetops. Also, the idea of group magic with singing and dancing. The Clann's were an interesting concept. I liked how Mup expanded on the idea of the rhyming of the men and why it was so difficult.

I wanted a little more description at the end. It was a little vague on how the battle was won and what happened to the loser. Unless it was purposefully vague to set up the next one. There wasn't a lot of detail on what evil deeds the queen did but it was enough to remain age appropriate.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. The narrator was spunky and the magic was unique. It is a good read aloud book for early elementary with no graphic violence or love and no vivid scary descriptions. Appropriate for ages 6+.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this free digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #RaggedyWitches #MiddleGradeLit

Family is a painful, complicated thing in Celine Kiernan’s Begone the Raggedy Witches, the first entry in her Wild Magic Trilogy. Our heroine Mup, a brave and kind young girl who knows that you can never have too much color or sparkle in your life, has to grow up very quickly in this story as she learns that her family relationships aren’t what she thought they were…and that she isn’t what she thought she was, either.

When the “raggedy witches” of the title — pale-faced, black-eyed creatures with ragged cloaks — kidnap her father in order to lure her mother over the magical border into the Glittering Land, Mup meets her cold, tyrannical grandmother and sees her mother for who she truly is. I give Celine Kiernan a lot of credit for her characterization of Stella, Mup’s mother. Stella is the heir to the throne, but because of her mother the Queen’s evil nature, Stella was stolen away and taken to the mundane world by her Aunty. Stella never learned anything about her magical home or latent powers, and when she crosses the threshold for her rescue mission and feels the power surging through her, she is immediately resentful of Aunty for keeping it from her for all those years.

Stella expresses quite a bit of ambivalence about being a parent, both before and after she crosses the threshold, and it is refreshing to see a character presented with such depth and complexity without being reduced to a pure villain. Stella still loves and protects her children, but she has obviously been worn down by the demands of being a caregiver — she has been taking care of Aunty during a protracted illness, and she is effectively a single parent, since her husband Daniel works out of the country and rarely sees his family. When Stella sees an opportunity to live the life she believes was stolen from her, doubts arise and her devotion to her children wavers.

You don’t often see situations like this handled with sensitivity, or really mentioned at all; Stella loves her children, but if she had a chance to go back and do it all over again, she might not have chosen motherhood for herself. We also see the bright, observant Mup pick up on Stella’s conflicted feelings, though at Mup’s young age I don’t think she fully grasps what is going on. Ultimately, Mup understands that her mother loves her and wants to keep her safe, and that’s what matters to her. This storyline alone convinced me that the Wild Magic Trilogy is something truly special, because Kiernan conveys all of this complex, difficult humanity with beauty and effortlessness.

The world-building in this novel is spectacular. The Queen has instituted harsh rules outlining who can use magic and when and how they can do it, but we still see breathtaking glimpses of the wild magic that is possible in this world. The rebels who want to overthrow the Queen and install Stella as the new ruler provide a great deal of necessary (but subtle) exposition regarding the magic that once ruled the Glittering Land. We see it in action as Mup, delighting in her newfound powers, plays with a friend and communes with nature like a true witch. Seeing Mup discover the joys of magic — and seeing the wistful sorrow of the other witches who witness Mup’s discovery, as they realize they had forgotten what their outlaw magic looks like — is so beautiful that it brings tears to your eyes.

The ultimate showdown between Stella and the Queen is handled with just as much maturity and grace as the rest of the book. I won’t give away any details, but Kiernan lets the reader know that there is never just one villain — and there are no easy answers or true happily ever afters — in a fairy tale. The darkness and complexity of this novel make it a delightfully rich beginning to what I hope will be a classic trilogy. With incredible characters like Stella and Mup, I have little doubt that my hope will come true.