Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

A vibrant and fun MG novel that fits perfectly into the current trend of magical baking books. Readers who are fans of Rajani LaRocca’s Midsummer Mayhem and Anna Meriano’s Love Sugar Magic series will definitely be a fan of this book.

Just a Pinch of Magic is Alechia Dow's sweet (literally) middle-grade debut. Wini's family of enchanters runs a little bakery, but with the prices of magical ingredients skyrocketing, they're going under. Desperate to save her family's business, Wini takes a risk by casting a (sort of illegal) spell that would allow them to gather their own supply of their most needed magical ingredient: Love. But the spell doesn't work. And Wini soon discovers that it didn't just not work, it backfired. Badly. Now the whole town is in danger, and the Enchantment Bureau is sniffing around for whoever cast the wayward spell. Wini has to work with unlikely allies to try and fix things before it goes to far.

I've only read YA scifi from Alechia so far so it was a bit different. But you can definitely see more of Alechia herself in Just a Pinch of Magic. If that makes sense. I know many children and adults are going to love this book.

I thought that this book was so cute! Such a light hearted fantasy novel that middle graders would find themselves getting into. The plot was great and I thought that everything melded together nicely.

Alecia Dow is an author that has easily become an auto-buy author for me due to her YA books since The Sound of Stars & this middle grade book proves that she has a talent for multiple genres and ages. I loved everything about this sweet book from the cover to the ending & I especially enjoyed reading it as a read aloud with my kiddo. This is a perfect book for the classroom and at home. :)

I loved this book! The various plots and storylines were so brilliantly interwoven, and I loved the twists that came along the way. The author writes beautiful characters, all with their own quirks, strengths, stories, and purpose. Can't wait to read her next story!

I LOVE Alechia Dow and all her books and this was no exception. I adored the quirky magical town and the lovely nerdy black midsize MC. I especially loved the bakery setting and the magical baking. The ending of this surprised me and I genuinely hope we get another book set in Honeycrisp Hill and can see all these characters getting to live as themselves.

Another of my fav moments is the relationships between the daughters and their respective fathers. I would've loved to see this developed a bit more as well as the fathers dating each other. That sounds so cute and I love when kids set their parents up. Also the casual queerness of everything is always so refreshing and this is one I see myself revisiting, especially during fall.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC for my honest review!

It took me way to long to actually start this book and I regret that! This book is so adorable! I loved the queer representation, the family dynamics, and kids trying their best and learning that sometimes consequences happen even if you think you are doing the right thing.

I do with the synopsis for this book was better because I think that was why I was a little hesitant to read this story but this story is seriously so cozy. I have added it to my daughter's christmas gifts :)

As a long time fan of Alechia Dow, I've been looking forward to this middle grade debut. As my resident baking inspiration, I knew Dow's middle grade would be full of delectable treats including recipes. I'm trying one of them tonight! Just a Pinch of Magic is this dual POV delightful story about friendship. It's about Wini's attempt to save her dad's bakery, to help people, but the unintended consequences and side effects.

This was adorable!!! If you're looking for a cozy fantasy with baking magic and a lot of heart, you should absolutely pick up Just a Pinch of Magic. It follows two girls who feel like outsiders.

Wini's family runs a magical bakery that is struggling and she loves her baking magic, but when she was a baby her mom cursed their town and left her behind so everyone kind of hates her. She's determined to save her family's bakery but a spell goes very awry...

Kal has been desperate for more attention from her dad for a long time, and now they're moving to a new town to run a magical bookshop, but her mostly estranged grandfather is coming along and she's not sure how to feel. Kal is new to exploring her magic and befriends Wini as she tries to learn. Also their dads seem pretty into each other... But something wicked is approaching the town and the girls have until Halloween night to fix things!

Super cute with lovable characters, casually queer parents, and great mental health rep & fat rep! Wini is plus-size and that's handled really well. Kal has anxiety and manages with medication and therapy. I love them and I love how this approaches things. The town is charming and the story is perfectly paced. Really enjoyed this and look forward to more! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

The book is really cute just personally not my cup of tea. The characters and the plot are well written. The representation was also done very well.

this book was an absolute delight omg.

I'm giving it a full five stars because the whole book just felt like a warm hug, and I feel like we could all use more of those. we follow Wini and Kal and their developing friendship and their dads' developing romance, in the wake of a spell Wini cast that went terribly (maybe?) awry.

we've got corrupt magical cops, a haunted book, a spooky imprisoned warlock, a very strange ex witch hunter, and two girls figuring out that they're meant to be sisters before their dads have quite figured out what they're meant to be. it's really feel good and lovely and I adored that the characters were allowed to make mistakes and then reparations and get better.

Just A Pinch of Magic is so sweet it's gonna make your teeth hurt, but in the best possible way.


rep - side achillean characters
thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc ✨

If you, like me, have followed Alechia Dow on social media, you’re probably not at all surprised to see a book centered around delicious baked goods. I was SO excited for that component of this book. I’ve enjoyed the author’s posts about her baking experiences.

I loved both Wini and Kal’s characters. The story alternates chapters from both girls’ points of view. They both feel isolated from the magical community, Kal because she grew up in a nonmagical world, and Wini because of her family history and its impact on the town.

Both girls are smart and really need a good friend. They tentatively try to be that for each other, but friendship doesn’t happen without its bumps and bruises.

I loved the small magical town where they live, and the way the people relate to one another. It felt rich and interesting, and I would love to revisit the same setting for another story. The last few chapters of the story covered a lot of ground, but I enjoyed every page of this book, especially the recipes included between chapters! I am really excited to try a few of those out.

All in all, I’d say this is a perfect middle grade debut. It’s got magic, friendship, and delicious cookies. Who could ask for more than that?

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

Middle-grade magic- for the win. This story, set in a town where magical outcasts live (are trapped) caught my attention and held it. I loved the LGBT rep and all the details of small-town life.

I loved reading this wholesome story! Not only did Wini and Kal's voices capture my attention immediately, but I also really enjoyed reading about the magic system (and how baking could be one of them). Alechia built a wonderful story about friendship, magic, being differently, and the choices we make. JUST A PINCH OF MAGIC was the magical middle grade I needed right now. And I would highly recommend it if you love friendship stories, brilliant character voices, magic, and sweets - especially the sweets! Recipes are included and written in Wini's voice, which was absolutely adorable reading!

Wini comes from a family of enchanters that runs a bakery in a small magical town. She’s a bit of a loner thanks to being ostracized due to her mothers actions years ago. Desperate to save her families business she takes the risk of casting a slightly illegal spell. When the spell doesn’t work, she finds that it actually kind of backfired, drawing the eye of the Enchantment agency. Now terrified that she will be stripped of her magic, she is desperate to find a solution to save not only her magic and bakery, but also her town. When Kal moves to town with her father and recently returned grandfather, she finds her first real friend. But Kal has a secret of her own, since moving to town she started talking to a book, or more a spirit inside a book, who swears she’s not an evil witch. But the more they talk, the stronger the spirit gets, until Kal finds herself in an impossible situation.

This book is so adorably sweet, as the description rightfully says, sweet as a cinnamon roll. It was a quick, enthralling read. It’s the perfect witchy middle grade for the season. The girls are so sweet, with the best fathers. I love the recipes that are included and am excited to try some of them out. I can’t wait to read more, hopefully set in this interesting town.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Netgalley and Feiwel Friends in exchange for an honest review

When I heard Alechia Dow was writing her first middle grade book, I was stoked! Just a Pinch of Magic is the perfect combination of spookiness and adorableness that will give you all the fall vibes you need this season. While I don’t read a whole lot of middle grade, this book is by far my favorite in that age range.

The novel follows Wini, a young enchanter who is willing to do anything to save her family’s bakery, and Kal, an enchanter who moves to a magical town in hopes of finding a new start. But everything is not as it seems. The two girls form a budding friendship, but will it be enough to stop the evil that has come to their town?

I adored absolutely everything about this story! First off, the incorporation of recipes and the theme of food was cozy. I often felt like I could hear Wini’s chapters in Alechia’s voice because the passion for baking came through so vividly. I will certainly be trying some of the recipes included in the story, and I appreciated the way the theme was tied into family and making memories.

I feel like some authors, especially middle grade authors, avoid incorporating themes of food because it can be such a complex topic, so I really loved the way the characters had healthy relationships with food. Different types of food were not depicted as “bad” or “good,” and it was shown as something that is joyful, not simply something we need to stay alive. Also, the fact that Wini understands that hot chocolate is the superior warm beverage was a major selling point for me.

Furthermore, the representation in the novel was not only refreshing but also added depth to the story. Wini is fat, and I liked that her physical appearance was never tied to food in the story. Yes, she enjoys indulging in food, but her physical appearance is not necessarily a reflection of that; they can be two separate things about her. I wish this was depicted in novels more often, especially in those that will be read by children and teens.

Additionally, Kal has bipolar disorder, which significantly impacts her life but does not define who she is. Again, I loved that this representation was included, not just because mental health rep is important but because BPD is often overlooked in mental health rep. It was encouraging to see that Kal’s story is not about the start of her journey with BPD, but the start of her journey in finding a new normal. I think we need both kinds of stories, but there are so many stories that depict characters in a downward spiral due to their mental health. It’s easy to forget that we need the stories of coming back from that just as much.

Finally, the magic and humor in the story were wonderfully done. I found myself laughing out loud multiple times, and the magic system was intriguing, especially considering the book is urban fantasy. I could go on for days about this fantastic story, but do yourself a favor and pick up a copy for this spooky season!

When Wini was a baby, her mother cursed Honeycrisp Hill, the town they live in. Now, almost 13 years later, Wini and her family are outcasts. Her dad and her aunt don't talk about her mom much, and she doesn't have any friends. And because people avoid them, their family's bakery is struggling. While going through her grandmother's grimoire, Wini discovers a love spell that would fix a lot of their problems. It's slightly above her level, but she casts it anyway.
Kal also doesn't have many friends, and a part of her hopes that might change when she moves to Honeycrisp Hill, but her anxiety makes her worry that won't be the case. Her family dynamics are still strained in their new home--maybe even more than they were before--but Kal makes two new friends: Wini, and one of the enchanted books in her family's new bookstore.
Strange things start happening around town--gusts of winds, scary shadows--, and Wini is worried she may have caused them with her spell. Together, Wini and Kal try to figure out what's going on, and how to put a stop to things before the Enchantment Agency closes in.

Just a Pinch of Magic is a really fun read that deals with a lot of things kids face-- like anxiety, making friends, complicated family dynamics, and doing your best even when you're not sure your best will be enough. It's fun, but it's also relatable for a lot of kids who need more stories about kids like them.

The pacing at the end felt a little fast to me, and I wish we'd gotten more of Kal's anxiety, but I loved the plot, the characters, and the prose. And it has recipes every few chapters, with Wini's notes in them, which is a phenomenal touch. I'd definitely recommend it!

I love Alechia Dow! I love her inclusiveness of queer characters and I especially love that her main characters are usually curvy girls of color. This was so cute and fun for her first middle-grade debut. Different track than YA but enjoyable all the same - the 2 girls and their different but similar struggles - and all the love lol. Super cute witchy debut.

Such a heart warming and sweet filled story! This is a great middle grade novel for those struggling to fit in, who love their families fiercely and who are looking for a bit of magic. Honeycrisp HIlls has become one of my favorite small towns and learning about all the different types of magics was a lot of fun. I like the authenticity of Wini and Kal's friendship and the vulnerability of each girl leading to the how and why they found themselves in each of their situations. Awesome magical read!
Thanks NetGalley!