posted on 04 Jun 2023

Suitcase S(witch) by Aisha Bushby

This is award-winning author, Aisha Bushby’s first outing for publisher, Barrington Stoke who specialise in bringing to the market books for reluctant readers of all kinds. Suitcase S(witch) is a magical tale guided for a 7+ age group and will be especially popular for young readers who like stories of enchantment with what the publisher describes – accurately – as ‘a Studio-Ghibli-esque twist’.

When 13 year-old Zahra takes the train to travel to compete in a poetry competition that could win her school a big-money prize, you’d think she’d be the only one with a bright purple suitcase that has orange polka-dots. Sadly, you’d be wrong because a young girl wearing a witch’s hat has exactly the same one and – you’ve guessed it – they get mixed up.

When Zahra open her case to discover the accidental swap, the fun really starts. She decides that she has to try some of the clothes she finds in there because hers have gone missing and it soon becomes clear that the girl who has her case must be a real witch. It seems that every time she dips into the suitcase, she pulls out something very special. First there is an encounter with shoes that dance of their own accord and then a cape that allows her to fly. And that’s not to mention the talking cats that are auditioning to be witch’s familiars!

All well and good but Zahra’s poems are in her own case and she has to try and get it back. Fortunately, she discovers that the witch – whose name is Daria – keeps a diary and as well as being the same age as Zahra, she is staying in the same hotel that is hosting the poetry competition.

Will Zahra be able to get her suitcase back? How will the poetry competition turn out? Will she be able to overcome her stage-fright and does Daria have some spells that will help her?

There’s plenty of good-humoured magic and a delightful new friendship to be found as the story plays out. Oh, and by the way, Zahra will also have a cat of her very own by the time all this is done.

The magical mayhem is helped along by some excellent illustrations from Coralie Muce who provides a number of half and three-quarter page drawings.

The book can be purchased from your local independent bookshop, who will be glad to order it for you if they don’t have a copy on the shelf. Alternatively, you can go directly to the Barrington Stoke website and order directly from them.

 

Terry Potter

June 2023