Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano (review)

It's the day before the Day of the Dead, and eleven-year-old Leo is crushed when she is told, yet again, that she's too young to skip school to help in the family panadería. When she leaves school to spy on the proceedings, she's shocked to learn that the women in their family are not only bakers but brujas, and that everyone seems to know about it but her. Her eldest sister, Isabel, takes pity on her and shows her a wee bit of harmless magic, but next eldest Marisol warns her against taking it for granted when Leo's rowdy flying pig cookies can't be corralled. Leo can't wait to be properly trained, of course, and big, hilarious, and cleverly plotted trouble ensues when she tries to help her best friend solve a tiny little problem. Meriano sets up a promising premise for a sweetly joyful series, giving each sister a distinct personality and special magical gift. What's refreshingly missing is any real rancor between the sisters or between Leo and her friends; instead, they (and the ghost of Leo's abuela) are as supportive as they can be while Leo figures out how to fix her own magical mistakes. Even when Leo's parents find out about what she's done, they apologize for not letting her in on the family secret in the first place and welcome her fully into the family business. Recipes for Mexican treats are included; without a bruja in the house, however, their magical properties are (probably) only metaphorical. Final art not seen. KC