School Library Journal Review
Gr 3--7--In this latest entry of the "Middle School and Other Disasters" series about witch-in-training Heidi Heckelbeck, Heidi is excited to be chosen for private magic lessons with Mrs. Kettledrum, beginning with meditation techniques to help her master mind-reading. She has a blossoming crush on a non-magical student named Nick, and a new friend named Isabelle. Everything is going well until she discovers that Isabelle has a big secret: she is a princess from a magical royal family. Heidi promises Isabelle she won't tell anyone, but she is bursting to share the big news, and accidentally reveals it to her gossipy roommate Melanie Maplethorpe. She tries to use an emergency spell on Melanie to make her forget Isabelle's secret, but in the process makes Melanie forget who Heidi is! Luckily, Mrs. Kettledrum can read Heidi's thoughts and helps her with a new emergency spell to undo her mistake without revealing Isabelle's secret. This novel is full of relatable middle school experiences: crushes, secrets, navigating new and old friendships, and struggling to do the right thing. Although it assumes some knowledge of the previous books, new readers will still be able to understand and engage with the story. The variable font size and cartoon-style black-and-white drawings by Abramskaya add to the book's readability and charm. Although the background of the characters is never explicitly stated, Heidi, and many of the other main characters, appear white in illustrations, while Isabelle and Nick have darker skin. VERDICT A solid new addition for Heidi Hecklebeck fans that could also serve as an entry point for new readers.--Ashley Larsen
Kirkus Review
Heidi Heckelbeck is a witch and first-year student at Broomfield Academy, a boarding school that educates magical and nonmagical kids alike. Heidi's an ordinary tween, concerned with clothes, friendships, crushes (currently on Nick Lee, who's not in the School of Magic), and her tenuous relationship with Melanie, her often-mean "broommate" and acquaintance from home. She's also excited about learning witchcraft and is pleased to receive private magic lessons from Mrs. Kettledrum. Her teacher instructs her in calming meditation techniques as a prelude to mind-reading and emergency spells. Sometimes Heidi writes spells enthusiastically but incorrectly, however, with unintended consequences. She also faces a difficult decision about revealing a big secret about new friend Isabelle. Heidi pushes the boundaries of appropriate behavior (both in the real world and the magical one) and must think hard about self-discipline. Breezy and fun, this volume will satisfy devotees who have enjoyed following this engaging character since she was in elementary school, with each entry slowly but surely moving up in complexity as Heidi grows and becomes a little more serious. Her latest adventures are delivered with the usual humorous grayscale illustrations and fonts that vary in size and style, moving the story along quickly. The volume will entice new fans, welcome reluctant readers, and please those who have been awaiting Heidi's latest exploits. Isabelle reads Black; other central characters are cued white. Fun middle school antics with a dollop of light magic and considerations of loyalty. (Fiction. 9-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Excerpts
Chapter 1: Clearing Your Mind Is Easy, Right? CLEARING YOUR MIND IS EASY, RIGHT? Today is my first advanced magic lesson with Mrs. Kettledrum! Eeee! I've been waiting for this day for what seems like forever, but truthfully, it's only been two absurdly long weeks. The coolest part is that I am the only one in my grade--so far--who has private magic lessons. One of my best friends, Sunny Akhtar, was a little bit jealous at first, but she and I had a heartfelt talk, and everything is good now. Phew! I totally understood how she felt. I know I would've been jealous if it had been the other way around. These lessons are such a big step for me as a witch. All I've ever wanted is to be the best witch I can be, and now I'm on my way. I'm positively buzzing with excitement as I walk across campus to Mrs. Kettledrum's classroom. Is it possible that everyone and everything looks extra beautiful today? The sky looks bluer! And could it be that the birds are singing only to me? Everyone I pass either waves or says hi--even some of the upperclassmen. I am radiating confidence and happiness! When I open the door to the classroom, Momo, Mrs. Kettledrum's corgi, leaps off her puppy bed and jumps into my arms. She licks me all over, which is kind of ew, but mostly adorable. Ever since I did an original spell that made Momo talk, she and I have had a special relationship. Momo got to say all the things she'd always dreamed of saying. Mrs. Kettledrum was super-impressed, and that's when she said I was ready for private magic lessons. So here goes nothing! "Are you ready, Heidi?" Mrs. Kettledrum asks. She winks because she knows how excited I am. "I'm SO ready!" Then I follow Mrs. Kettledrum into her office. Momo trots after us too. "Have a seat, Heidi!" Mrs. Kettledrum says, and points to one of two cozy-looking chairs. I plop onto the middle of a blue plaid cushion. "Are you comfortable?" I bounce on the cushion. "Yup, totally comfy!" Mrs. Kettledrum drags the other chair in front of me and sits down. "Then let's begin. Lesson number one," she starts. "To strengthen your mind-reading gift, and to truly be a great witch, you must learn how to quiet and control your thoughts in any situation. Quick, successful magic can only be performed when your thoughts are calm and focused." I nod vigorously, but I'm thinking, Being calm and focused are not exactly my strong points. Mrs. Kettledrum rests her hands on her lap. She looks very calm and focused. I'm pretty sure she never gets ruffled. She adjusts her glasses. "The first thing I want you to do, Heidi, is to come up with a mantra to get your mind into a quiet, peaceful place." I raise my hand. "What's a mantra?" Mrs. Kettledrum shuts her eyes, like she's going into a trance or something, and then opens them again. "A mantra is a word, phrase, or sound that calms the mind. My mantra is: Peace and tranquility are mine. "It's your turn, Heidi. I want you to close your eyes and think of a mantra that will quiet your mind. Take as long as you need." I close my eyes, but instead of getting quiet, my mind goes bananas. Eek! What should MY mantra be? I wonder. What if I can't THINK of a mantra? What if I think of one and it sounds STUPID? What if I can't get this right? In a matter of seconds I've gone from a confident, up-and-coming witch to a complete nervous wreck. Chill out! I think. Mrs. Kettledrum interrupts my topsy-turvy thoughts. "Now, don't be surprised if your thoughts race around at first, Heidi. Simply take a deep breath...." Mrs. Kettledrum inhales slowly. "Think about something that will settle your mind. Your mantra should be a signal to yourself that it's time to be quiet. Simply let your mantra come to you. Don't be embarrassed or shy. There's no such thing as a wrong mantra. Just clear your brain of all distracting thoughts." I shut my eyes again. I'm glad Mrs. Kettledrum says that racing thoughts are normal. She also understands being totally embarrassed. That helps too. I feel a tiny bit less self-conscious. Okay, what will my mantra be? Hmmm. How about "Be quiet, Heidi!" No, too basic. What about "Turn off the noise, Heidi!" Or maybe I should be like a hypnotist, and my mantra could be "You're getting VE-E-ERY sleepy, Heidi!" No, I'm not trying to take a nap. How about, "Shut off your brain!" Ugh, I'm so BAD at this. "This is HARD," I declare, keeping my eyes shut because I don't want to look at Mrs. Kettledrum. It'll just make me feel more embarrassed. Mrs. Kettledrum pats my knee with her hand. "It is hard, Heidi, but be patient with yourself. It takes a lot of practice to get still and quiet. Let's try something else. Instead of starting with a mantra, I want you to focus on your breathing. Breath work is a handy tool to quiet yourself down. "Please take a deep breath in through your nose, and slowly and gently breathe out through your mouth," she continues. I take a humongous breath in through my nose, and slowly let it out. "Not bad, Heidi. Again." I take in another dramatic breath and slowly let it out through my mouth. I'm pretty sure I sound like an English bulldog snoring--or maybe I sound more like Darth Vader breathing. And, instead of getting quiet, my mind wanders off in another direction. This is no fun! I complain to myself. I thought I was going to learn some REAL magic today, like making a mountain of candy appear out of nowhere, or whipping up a new wardrobe, or zapping a trampoline into existence. Or maybe magically getting a mini fridge for my room? " Concentrate , Heidi," Mrs. Kettledrum reminds me. I nod obediently and try to stop the rant in my head. Focus, I tell myself. You are a calm, no-nonsense witch. You can be 100 percent relaxed-- even though you may not feel like it. You are as still as the water on a lake at dawn. You are as calm as a golden sunset. You are as weird as the biggest GOOFBALL ever. I open my eyes. "I feel silly!" Mrs. Kettledrum leans back in her chair. Is she disappointed in me? I wonder. Does she want to keep working with me?! She doesn't show any signs of being mad.... Mrs. Kettledrum pulls off her glasses. "What you're feeling is perfectly natural, Heidi. New ways of thinking can feel awkward at first. Believe it or not, one day you'll get to the place where every cell in your body is quiet. I didn't start out being calm in every new situation. It took years of experience and practice, but you have to start somewhere, and this is the start. Let's go back to thinking about a mantra." I clasp my hands on top of my head. "What if I can't do it?!" Mrs. Kettledrum smiles. "Of course you can, Heidi. Now close your eyes and try again. Trust whatever mantra comes to you--even if it sounds silly." This time I don't let my mind spin like a Tilt-A-Whirl. And the next thing I know, something actually comes to me. My eyes pop open. "I've got it, Mrs. Kettledrum! My mantra is: My peace is here and now." Mrs. Kettledrum claps her hands. "Well done, Heidi! That's a wonderful mantra! You've successfully taken the first step toward becoming a better mind reader. "On to lesson number two: to do this step you'll need to turn your chair toward the window." I stand up and spin my chair around. Mrs. Kettledrum shifts hers around too. We sit down and gaze out the window. Students are walking toward the Barn for lunch. My stomach growls. Glurrpity-gloop! Mrs. Kettledrum acts like she didn't hear it. "Okay, Heidi, I want you to silently recite your mantra. Then focus on a student outside and ask yourself, 'What are they thinking?' After that, listen carefully for incoming thoughts. Ready?" I sit back in my chair. Mrs. Kettledrum nods once. "Begin!" My peace is here and now, I think calmly. I have to pick a student and focus on what they're thinking. Oh wow! There's Nick Lee! He's the guy who asked me to dance at the Halloween party! He is SO cute!!! I watch Nick walk by. His thick, dark hair is swept back and reveals a slight widow's peak in the middle of his forehead. One word: adorable! Nick is a low-key crush right now. When I was crushing on Hunter McCann, I totally lost myself. Luckily, or maybe unluckily, Nick isn't in the School of Magic. He's not in any of my other classes, either, so I hardly ever see him. This keeps me from crushing overboard. But I really want to hang out with him soon. I want to get to know him better. Mrs. Kettledrum taps my leg. "Heidi, put your eyeballs back into your head and stop thinking about boys! We all know what happens when you put crushes and magic together. Things can get very hairy! Clear your mind." "I'm sorry, Mrs. Kettledrum! It's just that Nick is sooo cute! I won't let him distract me next time." I jump back to attention. Mrs. Kettledrum is such an amazing witch, she can see right behind the curtain of my mind. When she says "things can get very hairy," she's totally referring to when I accidentally gave myself Rapunzel hair that would not stop growing, all to impress Hunter. It was a disaster of epic proportions. Mrs. Kettledrum is right because I can't let a crush crush my dream of becoming the best witch in the world! Mrs. Kettledrum looks at her notebook. She has no time for puppy love. "Okay, Heidi, for homework I want you to practice quieting your mind. Really work on watching your thoughts so they don't wander." She hands me a sheet of paper with a bunch of helpful hints and goes over some of the details. Excerpted from Biggest Secret Ever! by Wanda Coven All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
