The Misadventures of Salem Hyde
Book One: Spelling Trouble
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3.9 • 9 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Salem Hyde just isn’t like other kids. For one thing, she’s stubborn, independent, and impulsive. For another, she’s a witch. Salem acts first and thinks later—which means most of her thinking involves coming up with excuses!
Good thing she’s been assigned an animal companion, Lord Percival J. Whamsford III. This over-anxious cat doesn’t like Salem calling him “Whammy,” and Salem doesn’t like listening to his long-winded explanations as to why she shouldn’t do something . . . like enter the class spelling bee.
Salem knows she can beat all her classmates at spells, no problem. Too late, she realizes the competition is about spelling words, not magic. And there’s nothing like a misspelled spell to cause all kinds of havoc!
Praise for The Misadventures of Salem Hyde: Book One
STARRED REVIEWS
"A fledgling witch receives necessary guidance from a talking cat in this utterly adorable page-turner… A delightful buddy story and an auspicious series opener; be sure to make room on shelves for Salem and Whammy."
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"It’s just about the perfect story for comics-loving fathers to read with their comics-loving daughters."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Cammuso evokes both the sarcastic spunk and gentle warmth of Calvin and Hobbes in this humorous tale of unlikely pals."
—The Bulletin of The Center for Children's Books
"Young readers will eat up Cammuso’s (Otto’s Orange Day, 2008) action-packed panels, full of cartoonish antics, silly puns, and playful slapstick humor."
—Booklist
"The humor, appealing artwork, and underlying message of friendship will attract readers."
—Library Media Connection
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Salem Hyde is brash, outspoken, and has a pair of pigtails that resemble bat wings. She's also a witch, and she needs help keeping her powers under control. Enter Percival J. Whamsford III (aka Whammy), a magical cat Salem's family hires for that very purpose. Never mind that she would've preferred a unicorn: "A witch and a cat?" she grouses. "That's so unoriginal!" Illustrated in energetic green-and-black cartoons packed with physical comedy, Cammuso's (Otto's Backwards Day) odd-couple story reads like a salute to the comic strips of yesteryear, with plenty of punning and deadpan deliveries; he even sneaks in a few references to Star Trek and The Simpsons. Along with the ongoing clashes between headstrong Salem and persnickety Whammy, the plot concerns Salem's quest for success in an upcoming spelling bee, while outsmarting a teacher who has it out for her. In one of many funny moments, Whammy tries to sanitize the story of Moby-Dick for an impressionable Salem ("Did I say harpoons? I meant... balloons"). It's just about the perfect story for comics-loving fathers to read with their comics-loving daughters. Ages 7 9.
