Ivy Newt and the Vampixies
Young witch Ivy Newt and her trusty familiar Tom find themselves in another exciting adventure in the fourth book in this charming series by Derek Keilty, beautifully illustrated by Magda Brol. After setting out on an adventure to collect ingredients for spells with Witch Griselda, our heroes find themselves in the middle of a sinister plot. Drusilla, Queen of the Dust Pixies, plans to cast a terrible Wish Curse turning her pixies into fearsome Vampixies who will set out to suck all the magic from the land of Miracula
Brol’s intricate illustrations both bordering the pages, as full-page drawings throughout, help to immerse us in the story and its host of characters. The wonderfully detailed bat-shaped map and the sketches of the twelve main characters set the scene in the opening pages and will delight young readers as well as adding lots of discussion points. The alliteration throughout the well-paced chapters makes it perfect for reading aloud.
Ivy and Tom are strong and likable main characters with eco-credentials, who have overcome their own fears, learned to stand up to bullies and have come to realise that ‘it’s okay to be different’ and ‘we all say things we should not sometimes, but the important thing is to be ready to sort things out.’
A feelgood story full of humour and positive messages with a few scary bits and some clever plot twists thrown in. Best suited to young readers 5–7 or 8–10 who will enjoy the whole series but can also be read as a standalone book.
