Hailey Twitch is Not a Snitch by Lauren Barnholdt is the sort of whimsical, charming story that parents will have no problem reading along with their children — yet written in a way that beginning readers could feasibly tackle it on their own, as well.
Hailey Twitch tells the story of a seven-year-old girl who finds her life thrown upside down by the appearance of Maybelle, a sprite trying to learn to have FUN. The only problem is, some of Maybelle’s fun gets Hailey into a lot of trouble — and Hailey’s not allowed to tell anyone that Maybelle even exists!
The book tells a nice story about doing the right thing, taking responsibility for one’s actions, and being true to your word. It also delicately tackles the oh-so-trying times of a seven-year-old. Things like being assigned a class project with someone you don’t really like, dealing with the classroom bully, and navigating the treacherous territory of new friendships.
Equally charming are the line illustrations by Suzanne Beaky, which appear throughout the book. It’s still a chapter book for young readers — but the illustrations help enhance the story and bring it to life. My personal favorite is the drawing on page 49, showing Hailey and Addie after they’ve created faux braces on their teeth using denture cream and colored paper clips.
Hailey Twitch is Not a Snitch is available now in bookstores everywhere.
Here is the official synopsis:
Seven-year-old Hailey Twitch knows three things for sure: who she’s the boss of, how to throw a tantrum, and above all, how to get exactly what she wants. But all that changes when Hailey gets paired up with annoying Addie Jokobeck on the class project. No matter what Hailey does, she can’t seem to change her teacher’s mind.
At home, a cranky Hailey is feeling sorry for herself when – poof! — Maybelle, a magic sprite, comes flying out of Hailey’s dollhouse. Maybelle’s on probation with the Department of Magic, and on a special mission to get Hailey to have fun.
The only problem? The invisible Maybelle starts causing a lot of trouble, and when Hailey’s teacher wants to know who’s to blame, Hailey takes responsibility. After all, Hailey Twitch is not a snitch! Now if only Hailey can convince the Department of Magic that Maybelle has reformed…
Novel Novice 
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