The Hidden Witch, written by Molly Knox Ostertag, reviewed by Caroline Rabideau

Summary: The Hidden Witch is the second book in a series, but could be read as a stand alone. It is about a young boy, Aster, who has recently discovered he would like to be a witch (a title usually reserved for girls). Though he is standing up for his passions, he is still looked down upon by many in his community. By book 2, Aster has a very close knit group of friends with Charlie and Sedge. A new girl, Ariel, moves into town, but she's having problems making friends. Charlie reaches out to her and invites her into their friend circle. But Ariel has secrets no one understands, maybe not even Ariel herself. If she can't learn to control her power, it might turn on her and kill her too. Can Aster's wisdom, Sedge's talent, and Charlie's never-wavering friendship help save their new friend Ariel?

Straight Talk for Librarians: I feel like this book would be a great conversation starter when talking about friendship and accepting people for who they are. I had not previously read book 1, but I can assume that Aster was bullied for being different, and that's how his strong friendships with Charlie and Sedge developed. The three friends are very accepting and encouraging of each other in all that they do. They do not pass judgement, and they do not belittle each other. When Ariel comes along, it might be tempting for Charlie to give up on her, or to treat her negatively because of Ariel's actions, but she decided friendship is worth the risk, and fights for their friendship. It was inspiring to watch four middle school aged kids deal with problems that seem far beyond their age, yet handle them so well.
I feel like this book would also be very good for helping a student cope with being accepted as an LGBTQ member. That topic is never specifically mentioned at all throughout the book. It was almost as if Aster's magic was in place of Aster's identification. He was bullied and not accepted by many because he chose the schooling of a girl. Even his aunt treated him differently than all the other students in the class. But his friends and his mom had accepted him for who he was, and that was all he needed. Aster says "the feelings I get from being a witch... those are usually stronger than the bad feelings I get from what other people think about me." He is strong in his beliefs, and proud of his accomplishments. I feel like my students have such a hard time understanding how to accept people as they are, no matter what orientation they identify with. It's a hard topic to talk about with kids, but I think this book would be a great lead in. It hints at the possibility just enough, but students will sympathize with Aster immediately because, on the surface, they are talking about magic, not sexual orientation.
I think this book would be good for a middle school library. I don't think it would appeal to everyone, but I think it would be a great took to use with the kids that need it.