Alyssa and the Spell Garden By Alexandra Sheppard

Alyssa's mum and dad are breaking up and it's really embarrassing. They had a huge fight in the cereal aisle of the supermarket, which went from whispers.... to raised voices.

Now, Alyssa has been sent to her Auntie Jasmine's house. Boooring! She has to stay there for three weeks. Boooooooring! She learns that Auntie Jasmine is magic, her whole family is magic, she's magic herself, and there is a spell garden full of banana ferns, bunny shrubs and flicker bees. Boooor - hang on, that's not boring at all. In fact, it's really exciting, just like this book.

This book was thrilling and I totally didn't expect the twist at the end! (I won't give any spoilers, but it's so shocking). There's loads of magic, it's action packed and when Alyssa got in the car to drive to London, I bet she wasn't expecting the adventure of her life. There are some sad moments and Alyssa goes through a lot with her parents breaking up, and she has a lot to learn with all of this magic-y stuff.

I liked how each chapter had a plant name and use - eg. Passionflower (for peace and calm).

I really recommend it if you want a book full of adventure and a big surprise at the end!

Alyssa and the Spell Garden

Written by Alexandra Sheppard

Illustrated by Bex Glendining

Published by Faber & Faber