Book: Willow Moss and the Lost Day by Dominique Valente
Read From: 16th September - 29th September 2021
Rating: No Rating
Summary: Willow Moss, the least powerful sister in a family of witches, has a magical ability for finding lost things - like spectacles or socks. Useful, but not exactly exciting... Then the most feared witch in all of Starfell comes asking for Willow's help. Last Tuesday has gone missing and without it the whole world would unravel. Now Willow holds the fate of Starfell in her rather unremarkable hands...
So I've not given this one a rating, mainly because I didn't love nor hate it. It's not one that's going to stick with me, but at the same time I recognise that this middle grade book wasn't written for people my age and so it would be unfair to quantify my feelings into a star rating. The only time I rate middle grade books is if I think they will be enjoyed by adults too (such as Boy Everywhere by A.M. Dassu). Otherwise, I'll just have to hope that my review can do the talking, and will help you decide whether this would be a good one to buy for or read to any children in your life!
Three words to describe this book: whimsical, cute and fun. Willow's magic for finding lost things is really unique and (obviously) works really well with the plotline. We don't get an overwhelming amount of detail about her other sisters' magic but from what we're told by Willow, it's very clear she feels like an outsider in comparison to their extravagant gifts such as moving things with their mind. As a result, not only does this book follow Willow on her journey to finding last Tuesday, we're also tagging along with her on her journey of self-discovery. The message of self-love at the end of the book is such an important one to be giving young children.
Two of my favourite books of all time are The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet. One thing that those books have in common is an eclectic bunch of species/people/creatures all coming together to form the most heart-warming relationship, and this was so lovely to see in Willow Moss and the Lost Day too! Obviously we have Moreg Vaine, Willow and her kobold Oswin (who claims he is a monster but is most definitely a cat). But along the way, the gang meet a variety of different beings - Calamity the troll, Feathering the dragon, Nolin Sometimes the oublier and Essential - a young girl who can freeze things. I wouldn't say its 'found family' as such, but there were times it did give off those vibes and I think this is something a child would love - particularly when they're accompanied by the most gorgeous illustrations from Sarah Warburton!
Overall, I'd definitely recommend this for young children. It has excitement, mystery and great characters they will love reading about! This isn't a middle grade I would necessarily recommend to adults, but if you're interested in trying it out I would definitely recommend giving it a go. Although it took me a while to read, I still had a lot of fun with this, especially seeing the magic come to life in the illustrations.