I received a digital ARC copy of this book. After using her Magic, Maggie’s mother quickly realizes Maggie needs to learn how to swim. When Maggie runs into her cousin at swim lessons, who swims at a higher level than she does, Maggie will do anything, including magic, to help herself become a better swimmer. This was another cute story with Maggie, but I feel like it was missing a moral. #NetGalley #MaggieSparksandtheSwimmingPoolSharks

I received an electronic ARC from North Star Editions through NetGalley.
Maggie's adventures continue in book 2. This time she and Arthur are taking swimming lessons. It's amusing to watch how this unfolds and how Maggie interacts with her cousin Ella. Family dynamics can be interesting and Smallman uses a light touch on this less than loving cousin relationship. Mid-elementary readers will appreciate the humor and the way Maggie uses and misuses her magic.

Quick Summary: A funny, ha-ha, "Oh, Maggie!" installment

My Review: Maggie Sparks and the Swimming Pool Sharks by Steve Smallman is book #2 in the Maggie Sparks series.

About the Book: "...when Mom decides to sign her up for swimming lessons, Maggie is not happy. Thankfully, Maggie is a super powerful, super smart, super talented witch. She is determined to use her powers to get into the elite Sharks swimming group and help her best friend, Arthur, along the way."

Maggie, a young witch in training...who is not supposed to do magic outside of home, is at it again. What started out as a spell gone wrong ends up as a number of swimming lessons gone haywire. Soon, all of the good intentions by this naughty but nice girlie end with a splash.

My Favorite Line: "'Oh dear,' sighed Arthur."

My Favorite Illustrations (coded, so as to avoid spoilers):

Soggy Maggie
The Tidal Wave
Tummy Toot Time

My Favorite Support Character: Arthur (I genuinely adore him.)

About the Illustrations: This book was illustrated by Esther Hernando. Her illustrations joyfully communicated the story. I quickly found myself looking forward to seeing how the story content would be expressed in art form.

My Final Say: I 💗 Maggie Sparks!

Maggie is charming. She is imperfect but relatable. She is impatient but well meaning. She is moody but ever evolving. She is mischievous but not in a malicious way. She simply thinks outside of the box. She is a young witch who is learning to be who she is going to be.

Other: I think what makes this character so captivating is the fact that she is like most kiddos. She just happens to have special powers that she is intrigued by, that she is interested in using for good, and that she is desirous to master. Her actions in the moment don't define her. She is learning as she goes and loving as she goes. That is how we all develop.

Rating: 4.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: Children
Keeper: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Status/Level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Special Note: This book would be ideal as part of an elementary classroom and/or library read aloud series. It is also a great family read & discuss recommendation.

Heartfelt appreciation is extended to the author, to the illustrator, to the publisher (North Star Editions | Jolly Fish Press), and to NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to review a digital ARC of this title. It was a pleasure.

Learning to swim can be challenging, but these two friends sign up for swimming classes, and with a hint of magic, Maggie gets to have some fun annoying a bully. I like the names they give to the different levels of the swimmers. Arthur is a great friend and is very supportive and helps Maggie from being too naughty.

In this second book in the Maggie Sparks series, we learn that Maggie doesn’t know how to swim after she freezes the fountain so she can skate, and doesn’t realize that the ice is melting, and she gets scared of drowning, even though it is only a foot of water.
So, her mother decides to send her to swim lessons, a place that both her cousin, who we get to meet, and Arthur, her best friend, both go to. There are various levels of skills, and the highest is a shark. Maggie is in tadpoles, which she hates.


Another book, that non-magical kids can relate to. Because, who wouldn’t want to make it snow when you are bored, and want to skate in the fountain. And who woldn’t want to be a shark, instead of a tadpole.


The story is funny, and totally relatable, with just a touch of Maggie magic.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out in North America the 1st of January 2025 (It has been out in the UK for a few years).

Maggie Sparks doesn’t like swimming, and she hates that she can’t do it well. So, she’s not very happy when her mom signs her up for lessons but, with her best friend and her magic, she may just find a way to appreciate the water.

As an aficionado of books about spunky, witchy girls, I think Maggie is a fantastic character who would’ve found friendship with earlier personalities like Junie B. Jones. I like the friendship with Arthur and appreciate that the author doesn’t try to push any romance but instead crafts a true, loyal, and supportive friendship between the two. Bat is also a fun sidekick, and I hope to see more of what he can do as a familiar.

What I don’t like in the story is the way the adults talk to and about the kids, especially in the first half. After our opening scene, Maggie’s mom praises Arthur for his bravery but proceeds to talk about how fearful Maggie is. Books that acknowledge feelings are so important, but the gender bias feels strong. It’s made worse when Maggie’s mom, aunt, and swim instructor all proceed to comment on her appearance, telling her that she looks “very sweet” in her swimsuit. Maggie clearly doesn’t appreciate it, but the book provides no change in the adult behavior and there’s not an example of an adult that comments primarily on Maggie’s vibrant personality, strength, or character. I wouldn’t give a book to my nieces that normalizes girls being objects of observation, so this content took away from the book for me a bit.

3.5/5⭐️ rounded down

Thank you so much to Jolly Fish Press and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Maggie Sparks doesn’t know how to swim and whilst playing with her friend Arthur she falls down into the water of melted ice. Soon her mom is taking her to swim lessons but it’s embarrassing and not fun.

This was adorable, Maggie didn’t even want to be in swim class, her teacher wasn’t a very good teacher, her cousin was a shark in swimming and learning to swim was so hard for her and her friend Arthur. I liked that she used her magic even though she shouldn’t have, but by using it she found the courage she needed to actually learn to swim. Bat was also hilarious watching the whole thing, he such a funny pet.

Another great book in the series, the things she does with her magic are always so funny and unexpected, it never works out correctly and that’s what really adds so much charm to the stories. The illustrations in the books are always so much fun to look at too capturing all the things he’s up too, and the book itself is so much fun to read.