Merry Meet

June 1, 2001
Gr 6 Up-In Mote, Kate is an Everyteen who struggles between wanting to be a part of the crowd and marching to her own drummer. Researching the topic of witchcraft in the 16th century for her history paper, she stumbles on a modern book of spells. Because she's been mooning over a boy, she tries to cast the "Come to Me Love" spell. When the results do not play out as she planned, she forms a tentative friendship with two other girls who had also checked out the book: Annie, a bookish, quiet girl, and Cooper, a fearless rebel and loner. As these three come together, Kate begins her real journey toward self-realization, which takes her farther away from popularity. Merry Meet has the trio growing closer and discovering witchcraft as a viable religion. Once again, Kate leads readers slowly along with her and her friends into the world of Wicca. This series is not unlike Silver Ravenwolf's "Witches Chillers" (Llewellyn), but Bird's titles are perhaps a bit more pedestrian. Hers are for burgeoning witches, while Ravenwolf's series is for intermediates. The pace of the stories moves well and characters ring true to life. Bird has had many years of involvement in witchcraft and paganism, and her representation here will whet the appetites of teens interested in the subject. Readers looking for a quick read with a supernatural tone will surely enjoy these books.-Elaine Baran Black, Gwinnett Coun- ty Public Library, Lawrenceville, GA

Copyright 2001 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.