Shortly after being left in a flower pot as an infant and taken in by a kind widow, it is discovered that Mabel comes from a bloodline of witches. When she begins floating up into the sky one day, unable to control the magic bubbling within her, her adoptive mother sends her to the Ruthersfield Academy for Witches. Mabel dreams of wild experimentation, but it's the turn of the twentieth century, and all the female students are allowed to do is ride their brooms (sidesaddle, no petticoats showing) and practice glamorizing spells to make them appealing to future husbands. Inspired by the Society of Forward Thinking Witches movement, Mabel begins pushing boundaries, but will her curiosity get her expelled? This lovely celebration of quirky individualism applauds both creativity and science. Though magical experiments are underutilized in the story, they remain quite fun, and the historical suffragist subplot is subtle and empowering. This follow-up to The Power of Poppy Pendle (2012) and The Courage of Cat Campbell (2015) is a pleasant place to inhabit, with or without a broomstick.--Worthington, Becca Copyright 2016 Booklist

Nora was thrilled to find Mabel in a flowerpot on her doorstep, even if the baby's unconventional arrival displeased their neighbors in 1881 Yorkshire.When Mabel's proven to have strong magical abilities, Nora sends her to Ruthersfield, a highly regarded academy for witches in Potts Bottom. Moving the whole household to Potts Bottom allows Nora to keep Mabel's adoption secreteven from Mabel: only kind Daisy and sour Nanny Grimshaw know. At Ruthersfield, Mabel makes friends and enjoys learning magic but chafes at the strict limits and senseless rules the academy places on its use by young ladies. Why must witches ride broomsticks sidesaddle when riding astride would be easier and safer? Learning to dance the "waft and glide," mastering sparkling conversation spells for dinner parties, and enhancing her complexion with unicorn-milk soap don't interest Mabel. Curious and daring, she experiments, creating new spells (with surprising results). Witchcraft runs in families, so Mabel's family tree must include witches, but Nora won't discuss them. Then a jealous classmate learns the truth about her flowerpot origins and reveals it to the entire school, devastating Mabel. She'll need courage and love to get through thismagic can't solve everything. Adoption is treated with sensitivity and in an age-appropriate way.Wild fantasy, sly satire, and sharply observed family dynamics are the hallmarks of this tasty, effervescent series (along with mouthwatering recipes); this volume's the most delectable yet. (Fantasy. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 4-7-Mabel Ratcliff, the witchy great-great-grandmother of Cat (The Courage of Cat Campbell), stars in her own book about resourcefulness and feminism. It's 1881, and Nora Ratcliff, a widow, finds baby Mabel in a flowerpot by her door. Nora falls in love with Mabel, only later discovering that Mabel is a witch. Nora enrolls Mabel in Ruthersfield Academy, a magical school where her innovative spells challenge her teachers' unshakable adherence to rules and traditions. Mabel argues that girls should ride broomsticks astride for safety and brainstorms magical solutions to everyday problems like her housemaid's brittle hair. When the Society of Forward Thinking Witches sponsors a competition for a useful household spell, Mabel's clever idea and the machinations of her archenemy Winnifred make for a disastrous magical muddle that Mabel must unravel. Lowe taps into relevant themes for today's youth with her characterization of Mabel as an inventor and an agent of social change. Through Mabel's trials and errors, Lowe subtly impresses upon readers the ideas that trying and failing can lead to genius and that one should never abandon one's convictions because of others' opinions. Through the lens of the suffrage movement, Lowe also examines the so-called proper roles of women. The subplot involving the restrictive Nanny Grimshaw seems extraneous to the story, further delineating Mabel as a figure of pity and oppression. The historical setting may narrow the audience slightly, but Mabel's high jinks will appeal to readers of Roald Dahl's Matilda and Diana Wynne Jones's Howl's Moving Castle. VERDICT Mabel will inspire readers with her confident creativity; a solid secondary purchase, especially where Lowe's previous title is popular.-Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Library Association, CT © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.