The Witch of Woodland

A young girl preparing for her bat mitzvah discovers she has mysterious abilities in this magical contemporary coming-of-age story from the beloved author of Orphan Island.

Hi, whoever is reading this. I’m Zipporah Chava McConnell, but everyone calls me Zippy.

Things used to be simple—until a few weeks ago. Now my best friend, Bea, is acting funny; everyone at school thinks I’m weird; and my mom is making me start preparing for my bat mitzvah, even though we barely ever go to synagogue. In fact, the only thing that still seems to make sense is magic.

See, the thing is, I’m a witch. I’ve been casting spells since I was little. And even if no one else wants to believe in magic anymore, it’s always made sense to me, always felt true. But I was still shocked the day I found a strange red book at the library and somehow...I conjured something. A girl, actually. A beautiful girl with no memory, and wings like an angel. You probably don’t believe me, but I swear it’s the truth.

Miriam is like no one else I’ve ever met. She’s proof that magic is real. And, it’s hard to explain this part, but I just know that we’re connected. That means it’s up to me to help Miriam figure out what she is and where she came from. If I can do that, maybe everything else in my life will start to make sense too.

Anyway, it’s worth a try.

What happens when your biggest secret becomes a real-life girl with secrets of her own?

• A Modern-Day Witch: Zippy has always used small spells to survive middle school. But when she conjures a real-life girl from an old book, her magic gets a lot more complicated.
• Friendship Breakups: While Zippy deals with a magical newcomer, her lifelong best friend, Bea, is drifting away, leaving Zippy to navigate seventh grade all alone.
• Jewish Culture and Magic: She’s supposed to be studying for her bat mitzvah, but Zippy finds herself drawn to a hidden world of ancient spells and folklore that feels more like her true heritage.
• An Angelic Mystery: Miriam has no memory and wings she can’t explain. It’s up to Zippy to help her new friend figure out where she came from—and what she might be.