Friendship is the most powerful magic of all.

An instant New York Times bestseller from the Pura Belpré Award-winning author of Frizzy! Disney's The Owl House meets Nevermoor in a brilliant and magical 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 never be able to perform powerful 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.

Claribel A. Ortega, New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Squad and the Witchlings series, and Pura Belpré Award-winning author of the graphic novel Frizzy, is a former reporter who writes middle grade and young adult fantasy inspired by her Dominican heritage. When she's not busy turning her obsession with eighties pop culture, magic, and video games into books, she's co-hosting her podcast Bad Author Book Club and coaching authors on how to navigate publishing. Claribel has been featured on BuzzFeed, NPR, Good Morning America, and Deadline.

You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok at @Claribel_Ortega and on her website at claribelortega.com.

Praise for Witchlings:

An instant New York Times Bestseller!

A #1 Indie Bestseller!

An Amazon Best Book of the Month

"Enchanting. Ortega's inventive story has a cozy, lived-in feel and a mystery that will keep kids guessing." -- Entertainment Weekly

"Magic, friendship, and humor-an enchanting read." -- Kwame Mbalia, New York Times bestselling author of the Tristan Strong series

"Inventive. Magical. Enchanting. An absolutely charming tale with its heart rooted in the friendships we make and keep." -- J.C. Cervantes, bestselling author of The Storm Runner series

"A gorgeous tale of determination and magic." -- Booklist

"Energetic and intelligent; invites readers to question their assumptions and the status quo." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Centering three resourceful, sympathetic protagonists and considering issues of exploitation and privilege, Witchlings interweaves Spanish phrases, contemporary elements, and well-grounded magical worldbuilding."-- Publishers Weekly

"A magic-filled quest of friendship and power." -- School Library Journal

Praise for Claribel A. Ortega's Ghost Squad:

One of NPR's Best Books of 2020

A Good Morning America Summer Reading Squad pick

"Ghost Squad is a charming adventure full of girl power and heart." -- Zoraida Córdova, author of The Way to Rio Luna and the Brooklyn Brujas series

"Ghost Squad manages to be both creepy and heartwarming. Highly recommended for kids looking for a spooky read, a whole lot of feelings, and a story they'll not soon forget." -- Mark Oshiro, author of Anger is a Gift and The Insiders

* "A peppering of pop culture references add humor, but it's the personal touches, such as Lucely's opinionated, ever-present ancestors; her dedication to those she loves; and an emphasis on Latinx food, love, and folklore, that gives this debut its distinctive spirit." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

"It's the Ghostbusters meets Jane the Virgin mashup we didn't know we needed." -- Book Riot