Lily Halfmoon and the Witches’ Council
Xavier Bonet
Allen & Unwin

This is the second in the magical graphic novel series featuring nine year old secret witch Lily Halfmoon and her friends Mai and Gigi who live in Piedraville and help keep the town safe; Lily with her animal guardian and magical moonstone.

It’s the most important time of the year for witches, Samhain when the Witches’ Council holds its annual assembly. It’s when magic is at its strongest, and this year is Piedraville’s turn to host the activities: for three days and nights the Library will be filled with magic from all over the world as witches come together to introduce their gems and guardians, to dance and to learn new skills.

But on the second night of the celebrations Lily is accused of reckless use of her magic gemstone; it’s confiscated and she is forbidden to use her magic powers until she’s told otherwise. Who is the mystery figure that’s making problems for her? With the help of her friends can Lily solve the mystery and rescue the situation?

Eye-catchingly illustrated, this story, with themes of friendship, caring and resilience, is essentially about fighting for what you believe in and Lily surely does that. As the drama draws to a close she’s told she’s “a witch who advocates for the good of all” … “who cares about people.”

Bonet’s occasional pages giving more detailed information relating to the world he’s created such as the witches’ lunar calendar, the wheel of the year, a glossary of magical creatures as well as myths and legends about dragons and kelpies will appeal especially to readers with an interest in gemstones as well as fantastic happenings.