A Very Witchy Spelling Bee

Illustrated by Mark Fearing.
Harcourt, 2013.

When young Cordelia sees a sign for the Witches’ Double Spelling Bee, she knows it’s meant for her. She’s studied. She’s practiced. She’s ready to win. But the evil and ancient champion, Beulah Divine, gives her the mean-spirited challenge of her life.

Reviews

"Shannon has used clever wordplay and created a downright fun language game . . . Classroom spelling bees will never be the same once young readers get their hands on this title."
—School Library Journal

"Shannon and Fearing combine their considerable talents to create a most bewitching tale of self-confidence and perseverance."
—Kirkus

"Spelling truly is magic in Shannon's easygoing story about a purple-haired witch named Cordelia who loves spelling words and casting spells." —Publishers Weekly

"It's difficult to make a subject like spelling memorable, but Shannon's text engagingly demonstrates the relationship between words while Fearing's pencil and digital illustrations lend a Saturday-morning-cartoon quality to the characters and the comedic spell-casting action." —The Horn Book Magazine

“The greatest beauty of this book, however is in the clever concepts and play on words. Teachers and parents will enjoy this story as much as their children and students.” – Renee McGrath, Montana Public Radio