Witchlings

An instant New York Times Bestseller! Disney's The Owl House meets Nevermoor, in a brilliant new adventure from Claribel A. Ortega!
Every year, in the magical town of Ravenskill, Witchlings who participate in the Black Moon Ceremony are placed into covens and come into their powers as full-fledged witches.
And twelve-year-old Seven Salazar can't wait to be placed in the most powerful coven with her best friend! But on the night of the ceremony, in front of the entire town, Seven isn't placed in one of the five covens. She's a Spare!
Spare covens have fewer witches, are less powerful, and are looked down on by everyone. Even worse, when Seven and the other two Spares perform the magic circle to seal their coven and cement themselves as sisters, it doesn't work! They're stuck as Witchlings―and will lose their magic.
Seven invokes her only option: the impossible task. The three Spares will be assigned an impossible task: If they work together and succeed at it, their coven will be sealed and they'll gain their full powers. If they fail... Well, the last coven to make the attempt ended up being turned into toads. Forever.
But maybe friendship can be the most powerful magic of all…
With action-packed adventure, a coven of quirky witchlings, Claribel A. Ortega's signature humor, and girl-power vibes, you won't be able to put down this middle-grade Latine witch story, perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers or Harry Potter.
From School Library Journal
Gr 3–7—Twelve-year-old Seven Salazar excitedly awaits the Black Moon ceremony where she and her best friend Poppy hope to be placed in the powerful coven, House Hyacinth. Sadly, only Poppy joins House Hyacinth and in a nightmare come true, Seven finds out that she's a Spare. In the magical town of Ravenskill, Spares are looked down on and have less power. To make matters worse, also in her coven are Seven's bully, Valley Pepperhorn, and a girl named Thorn. When the three are unable to seal their coven, Seven invokes the impossible task which, if completed successfully, would seal their coven and give them their full power as witches. Their impossible task to fell the Nightbeast is a difficult enough endeavor, but they also have to contend with their constant bickering, the community's unfavorable view toward Spares, and a mysterious conspiracy surrounding the Nightbeast. The trio of witchlings eventually overcome misunderstandings, grow to trust each other, and work together. The sorting system has a unique spin to it with the presence and treatment of the Spares. Readers familiar with Spanish may recognize the magic words used to cast spells: viento for wind, esconder for hiding something, and so on. Among the cast are many Latinx characters, a character with a nonbinary gender identity, and those in a same-sex relationship. The poor treatment of Spares may spark a timely conversation on the lack of protection for marginalized communities. The witchlings also find out that Valley's father is abusive, on one occasion starving her for two days because of a bad grade. Mentions of abuse may be distressing to some readers. VERDICT A magic-filled quest of friendship and power sure to please lovers of the genre; an excellent purchase for libraries.—Myiesha Speight