Wolf for a Spell - The Library of the Uncommons

320 pages

English language

Published Nov. 17, 2020 by Random House Children's Books.

ISBN:: 978-0-593-12165-8

(1 review)

A fantastical tale of a wolf who forms an unlikely alliance with Baba Yaga to save the forest from a wicked tsar.

Since she was a pup, Zima has been taught to fear humans—especially witches—but when her family is threatened, she has no choice but to seek help from the witch Baba Yaga.

Baba Yaga never does magic for free, but it just so happens that she needs a wolf’s keen nose for a secret plan she’s brewing… Before Zima knows what’s happening, the witch has cast a switching spell and run off into the woods, while Zima is left behind in Baba Yaga’s hut—and Baba Yaga’s body!

Meanwhile, a young village girl named Nadya is also seeking the witch’s help, and when she meets Zima (in Baba Yaga’s form), they discover that they face a common enemy. With danger closing in, Zima must unite the wolves, the witches and …

A fantastical tale of a wolf who forms an unlikely alliance with Baba Yaga to save the forest from a wicked tsar.

Since she was a pup, Zima has been taught to fear humans—especially witches—but when her family is threatened, she has no choice but to seek help from the witch Baba Yaga.

Baba Yaga never does magic for free, but it just so happens that she needs a wolf’s keen nose for a secret plan she’s brewing… Before Zima knows what’s happening, the witch has cast a switching spell and run off into the woods, while Zima is left behind in Baba Yaga’s hut—and Baba Yaga’s body!

Meanwhile, a young village girl named Nadya is also seeking the witch’s help, and when she meets Zima (in Baba Yaga’s form), they discover that they face a common enemy. With danger closing in, Zima must unite the wolves, the witches and the villagers against an evil that threatens them all.

“Karah Sutton has crafted a vivid and rollicking adventure that proves a wolf doesn’t have to be big or bad to win the day!" —Rosanne Parry, New York Times bestselling author of A Wolf Called Wander

3 editions

KnitAFett reviewed Wolf for a Spell by Karah Sutton

Why do middle grade books slap so hard now?

4 stars

I wish we had had more interesting stories like this and Cloud and Wallfish when I was growing up. I never struggled with reading, but I think it would have made a big difference for a lot of the kids I knew that didn't enjoy it.

Sutton did a great job with incorporating Russian folklore into this book.

An evil tsar threatens to destroy the forest and all of the animals and beings (aka witches) that reside in it. Baba Yaga is alerted to this and begins to work with the forest to try to protect everything. There are a good amount of characters that you're introduced to and following around or being mentioned, but they all intertwine so there's not a character that's introduced for absolutely no reason,

My only gripe was that it started to drag in a few areas. But I have a feeling kids, which is …

I wish we had had more interesting stories like this and Cloud and Wallfish when I was growing up. I never struggled with reading, but I think it would have made a big difference for a lot of the kids I knew that didn't enjoy it.

Sutton did a great job with incorporating Russian folklore into this book.

An evil tsar threatens to destroy the forest and all of the animals and beings (aka witches) that reside in it. Baba Yaga is alerted to this and begins to work with the forest to try to protect everything. There are a good amount of characters that you're introduced to and following around or being mentioned, but they all intertwine so there's not a character that's introduced for absolutely no reason,

My only gripe was that it started to drag in a few areas. But I have a feeling kids, which is the intended audience, probably would appreciate having a slight break in the book where things are not happening back to back.

Going to have to see if my kiddos would be interested in this one.