Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch by Julie Abe (review)

Eva has just turned twelve, and she's ready for her quest to prove herself as a novice witch. She is confident that even though her power trickles out only in dribs and drabs (and leaves her exhausted after even a small spell) she can still find a town that would benefit from her help, and she'll be able to prove her worth by fulfilling those needs. Eva is clever and industrious, and those characteristics are ultimately as important as innate spellcasting abilities in this cozy (but never treacly) book about using what one has rather than wishing for the impossible. The pace is impeccable, with Eva stumbling along with small successes and several missteps before finding her groove. It is those hard-won victories that shape her further into the steadfast, determined, and generous witch that her parents always knew she could be. A lastminute reveal about the source of some dangerous rogue magic will surprise few, given that character's obvious villainy, but it does set up a sequel that will likely be eagerly anticipated. Fans of Pratchett's brilliant The Wee Free Men (BCCB 7/03) will find a worthy match to its heroine in Eva, who gets the witching jobs done, though often in unanticipated ways.