Book Two: Big Birthday Bash

April 1, 2014
With giant spectacles and even more spunk, budding witch Salem Hyde is back, determined to give her friend the best birthday ever. Tempestuous Salem is a flurry of a girl, always acting first and thinking second. Luckily, her feline companion, Whammy, is there to help keep her grounded and help her use--or, more often, help her undo her use of--her nascent magical powers. When Salem is invited to her friend Edgar's big birthday bash, she's beyond excited. However, right from the start, her adversary, the know-it-all Shelly, is determined to upstage her at every turn. Salem decides she'll give Edgar the best and biggest present ever--with disastrous, magical results. Salem and Whammy are perfect foils, with her whirlwind liveliness balanced by his (semi) calm wisdom. Cammuso keeps the jokes flowing throughout the volume and adroitly weaves them in and out of each narrative section, coming full circle by the end. Line-based art reminiscent of Calvin and Hobbes sets an immediate mood, and the characters' dramatic facial expressions make a winning complement to the steady stream of chuckle-worthy antics. This volume makes a fine jumping-in point for the series, but readers should also make sure to check out the excellent series opener, Spelling Trouble (2013). With lots of laughs and lots of heart, this sophomore offering doesn't disappoint. (Graphic fantasy. 7-10)

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May 1, 2014

Gr 2-4-A follow-up to Cammuso's first Salem Hyde misadventure, this title will further amuse fans of the author's slapstick storytelling. Salem has magical powers and is able to transform herself into different sizes. As the book opens, her cat Whammy relaxes outside in a reclining chair and hears Salem's cry for help. The young witch's magic has turned her into a giant. She is forced to hide behind a water tower, and her dad passes her on his way home. Salem leaves a huge shoe in the road to get home safely before him. In another vignette, at a birthday party, Salem's gift to her friend is to make all the gifts enormous, but she discovers she has only succeeded in making all the partygoers small. Large squawking birds arrive, set to take off with children. Squirrels make the children fraught with fear. Afraid she has ruined the party, she apologizes to the birthday boy, and realizes her mistake is his favorite birthday gift. Salem Hyde is a whimsical character. The bright two-color pink and black illustrations convey the spunky heroine's energy. Dark shadows lend volume and height where needed. Frames, wide and magnified in varying degrees, are filled with action and high jinks. For fans of Cammuso's previous work, including Otto's Orange Day (Toon, 2008).-Lisa Gieskes, Richland County Public Library, Columbia, SC

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2014
Grades 3-5 In this second volume, after Spelling Trouble (2013), young witch-in-training Salem competes with her rival, Shelly, to see who can get the best present for Edgar's birthday party. This means an eventful trip to the store with her nervous cat companion, Whammy; encountering teacher Mr. Fink, who has a second job at the store; racing shopping carts through the aisles; and losing the best birthday present ever to Shelly. The story includes Whammy's comical version of O. Henry's famous Christmas tale, The Gift of the Magi, and Salem's hilarious problems with size spells. For instance, when she makes herself big enough to reach her kite in a tree, she can't reverse the spell and uses her gigantic shoe as a temporary road block to delay her father's return home so she won't get caught. Cammuso's lively art conveys wonderful expressions with just a few strokes, and young readers will enjoy the humor of Salem's predicaments. Salem manages to give Edgar a memorable birthday party, and readers a very fun book.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2014
Young witch Salem is invited to her friend Edgar's birthday party. When the perfect gift slips through her fingers and her homemade one doesn't seem like enough, Salem casts a spell to give him a big birthday surprise (that takes an unexpected turn). Visual jokes abound in the black-and-white, pink-accented illustrations. A satisfying second entry in the graphic novel series.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)