Mirabelle and the Naughty Bat Kittens

Mirabelle is half fairy and half witch (even her hair is black on one side and purple on the other) and, though she goes to a witch school, she can’t resist sparkly things.

Perhaps because of her fairy genes, Mirabelle is also a little bit prone to getting into mischief every now and again, which wins her no points with strict Miss Spindlewick or class goody-goody Lavinia.

Yet, when Mirabelle is partnered with Lavinia for a school trip to a magical creature sanctuary, she realises that Lavinia puts a great deal of pressure on herself to be so perfect. So, when Mirabelle inadvertently releases a cloud of bittens (kittens with bat wings) from their cage, it’s up to her to show Lavinia that if things go wrong, there’s always a way to put them right again – even if it involves disobeying some rules.

Part of the fully illustrated Mirabelle series by Isadora Moon author Harriet Muncaster, this is a fun adventure romp very reminiscent of the late Jill Murphy’s The Worst Witch. There are all the witchy and fairy details that young readers could wish for – potions, learning spells and riding broomsticks – as well as a strong underlying theme of friendship and understanding others. It’s particularly good that, in this story, we get an insight into the stress and anxiety that can result from always wanting to be perfect, and a reassuring reminder that it’s okay to be a little mischievous sometimes. Plus, there’s a quiz, a cupcake recipe and a sample chapter of the next Mirabelle story at the end of the book too.