Newbie Fairy
(Oona Bramblegoop's Sideways Magic #1)

Gr 2-4--In this new chapter book series, Oona is a newbie fairy whose magic doesn't always go the way she hopes. She's a slug fairy, and did you know slug slime is essential to the entire fairy world? Fun fairy facts pop up in footnotes like, "Newbies have little wings and magic so small they have to say it out loud for it to work." There is humor for all ages: Oona struggles to put bow ties on slugs, but they have no necks, so the ties end up looking like belts. The image on the page shows a slug holding a sign saying, "I prefer pearls." Oona tries to be the tooth fairy's sidekick but is not accepted until she helps the tooth fairy protect one of the children. However, when both fairies are spotted by the child (which is against fairy rules), the tooth fairy loses her job. Can Oona help her get it back? Altés brings Oona and her high jinks in fairy world to life with delightful, burgundy-tone cartoon drawings. VERDICT This is a fun chapter book for budding readers. Sure to appeal to fans of the "Rainbow Magic Fairies" series and "Unicorn Diaries."--Heidi Dechief