Alyssa and the Spell Garden

'Enchanting and heart-lifting.' Sophie Anderson 'Bursts with glimmering magic.' Jasbinder Bilan 'A delight . . . funny, heartfelt and packed full of magic.' Abi Elphinstone 'Magical and empowering.' G M Linton 'A magical, cosy, spellbinding treat!' Kieran Larwood 'Utterly charming.' Lizzie Huxley-Jones 'The perfect mix of heart and magic.' Rachel Faturoti 'A heart warming read with a blast of magic!' Janelle McCurdy Alyssa must save the magical spell garden with her new unreliable powers. When 11-year-old Alyssa is forced to spend the summer holiday with her mum's family, who she's never met before, her latent magical powers explode into life. Her great aunt runs a secret magic school in her spell garden where local kids can hone their power. The garden grows magical spell ingredients that have protected their family and the wider neighbourhood for decades - ever since they arrived from Jamaica with their mother Effie in the 1960s. But something is going wrong and the magic is running out! Can Alyssa use her new, unpredictable magic to set things right? A contemporary fantasy set in a small community in North London facing eviction and gentrification with a magical garden at the centre of it. Stunningly illustrated by Bex Glendining.

Alexandra Sheppard (she/her) was born in North London, where she still lives with her family. Oh My Gods was her first YA novel in 2019. Alex is also the co-author of Fly High Crew and The Day We Saved The Future in collaboration with the Banjo Brothers and has contributed to Happy Here, an anthology of stories from Black British authors and illustrators. Her second YA novel, Friendship Never Ends, published to great acclaim in May 2023. Bex Glendining (she/they) is a biracial queer, UK based illustrator, comic artist and colourist. Bex has worked as a cover artist, colourist and interior artist on projects such as Seen: Edmonia Lewis, Penultimate Quest, Rolled & Told, Lupina, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and When Life Gives You Mangoes. When not working they can usually be found building gundams, playing video games with friends or fussing Cookie, their very spoilt tortoise shell cat.

Auteur

Alexandra Sheppard (she/her) was born in North London, where she still lives with her family. Oh My Gods was her first YA novel in 2019. Alex is also the co-author of Fly High Crew and The Day We Saved The Future in collaboration with the Banjo Brothers and has contributed to Happy Here, an anthology of stories from Black British authors and illustrators. Her second YA novel, Friendship Never Ends, published to great acclaim in May 2023. Bex Glendining (she/they) is a biracial queer, UK based illustrator, comic artist and colourist. Bex has worked as a cover artist, colourist and interior artist on projects such as Seen: Edmonia Lewis, Penultimate Quest, Rolled & Told, Lupina, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and When Life Gives You Mangoes. When not working they can usually be found building gundams, playing video games with friends or fussing Cookie, their very spoilt tortoise shell cat.