Michelle Harrison's magical fantasy series has been enthralling middle grade readers since the first adventure, A Pinch of Magic was published in 2019. In a modern fairy tale of witches, sorcery and exciting escapades, the Widdershins sisters use their cunning and magic in a good v evil adventure. Stories guaranteed to keep them reading after lights out.

Popular with our Reader Review Panel who have reviewed three of the four books in the series, our young reviewers had this to say; 'action packed....full of magic and wonder'.....'It has everything, pirates to witches, and more. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves adventure stories'...'a spellbinding, heartwarming book'. 

Following the publication of the latest book in the series, A Storm of Sisters, we spoke to Michelle about her enchanting stories and the books she loves.

Which of the three sisters, Fliss, Betty or Charlie, is most like you? Probably Charlie. I have a soft spot for animals and I’m usually thinking about my tummy, too! But there’s also a hint of Fliss. I’m a dreamer like her, and not very brave. I don’t have much in common with Betty except perhaps her nose for a mystery to be solved.

You’ve got sisters too, how much of the relationship between the Widdershins is based on real life? There’s a fair amount of my sisters and me in the Widdershins. Like Betty, my middle sister Janet is the ‘leader’ – something she secretly likes even if she pretends to find it annoying. We always go to her for advice, and her nickname is Practically Perfect because she finds solutions to everything. My eldest sister Theresa is the most sensitive, like Fliss, and the worrier among us. They both have horrible tempers though, much worse than mine. There’s such a strange dynamic between siblings – you can be at each others’ throats one minute and leaping to each others’ defence the next. I think that’s why a lot of people have taken to the Widdershins sisters, because that’s familiar to them.

Do you worry about them when you are writing their adventures, and they’re facing tricky situations? No, not really. I quite often think, ‘How will I get them out of this?’ when I’ve written them into yet another sticky spot, but I know I’ll always bring the sisters – and the reader – back to a safe place. I can’t promise the same for the other characters, though!

Will there be more adventures for the Widdershins sisters? (We hope so!) I hope so, too! I’ve given my publisher two ideas for my next book. One’s a Widdershins, the other is something new. Whatever happens, I don’t want it to be the end for the sisters.

Who were your favourite writers as a child? Controversial choice nowadays, but the author who made me a reader was Enid Blyton. I adored the Famous Five books, as well as the Malory Towers and St. Clare’s series and read them all over and over again. I loved the idea of children going off on their own and having adventures. I also enjoyed the Gobbolino stories by Ursula Moray Williams, and the humour and darkness of Roald Dahl. Later on it was the Point Horror books and then Christopher Pike who kept me reading throughout my teenage years. I loved being scared, and these were the stories that inspired me to start writing my own.

What is the book you wish you had written? My next one! I’m quite slow, and miss all my deadlines. I probably turn all my editors’ hair white with how late my manuscripts are. I wish I was one of those writers who can bang out a first draft in four weeks. If I had written any of the books that are my favourites, they wouldn’t be the same.

If you hadn't been an author what would have been your dream job? Either a career as an illustrator, or perhaps something working with animals.

What are you currently reading and which books are in your to-read pile? I don’t have a to-read pile. I have TWO to-read cupboards! I’m dreadful for buying books and skipping the new ones to the top of the pile. I’ve just finished The Rollercoaster Boy by Lisa Thompson which was brilliant, and I’m currently reading the not-yet-published A Flash of Fireflies by Aisha Bushby. It’s very exciting to be allowed an early look. I’ll probably read Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson next. I loved the first one in the series.

One in three of all books sold is a children's book yet children's books only get 4% of review space in the media. Why do you think this is - and what can be done? It’s baffling, considering that adults are usually the ones buying for children – and that children’s books are often cited to have life-long effects on who we become. I’d be interested to know what percentage of children’s books are part of a series and whether this links to fewer reviews – the longer a series goes on the harder it seems to get media attention. I think in that respect standalones and debuts are always going to shine brighter. Or perhaps another reason they get less space is because they are ‘less’ in some people’s eyes. I’ve had many people ask when I’m going to write a ‘proper book’, ie. one for grown-ups, as though writing for children is the easy route. It’s not! It’s far more challenging to hook a child’s attention than it is an adult’s. What can we do? Keep questioning, keep challenging. Author S.F. Said led a campaign for more children’s review space a few years ago – we need more of this.

What does LoveReading4Kids mean to you? I think what’s lovely about LoveReading4Kids is that it’s a trusted place of thoughtful and considered reviews, somewhere families and teachers can depend on for age appropriate recommendations because it’s created by book lovers and experts. It’s always been very supportive of my books, too, which I’m extremely pleased about and thankful for.

Scroll down for reviews and extracts to accompany all four books in the Pinch of Magic Series.