Ethan, his twin sister—Emmy—and Ethan’s friend—Jax—discover there are witches running the lunchroom at school. This happens just after they discover Ethan’s parents are missing while on a mission as witch hunters. The W.H.O. Files – Potions in the Pizza dives right into the story and keeps it going right to the end.

In this world, witches have the ability to change their looks, and most keep themselves looking beautiful. This plays into the storyline, too, as everyone is suspect. Mikey Brooks does an entertaining job describing the world and populates it with interesting characters. His main characters have depth and act pretty much how fifth graders act.

In addition to the magical, supernatural elements of the story, The W.H.O. Files – Potions in the Pizza is a mystery. Remembering back to that age (so very long ago, now), I would have loved this book. I remember voraciously reading the Encyclopedia Brown books back then, and this one is similar in feel to those.

While the book is full of suspenseful moments, the author shares no truly scary scenes, making this book highly appropriate for any middle grade reader. There is a really brief moment of possible twitterpatedness, but not enough to gross out readers that age. This book would be fun to read out loud, too, so the whole family could be involved in enjoying it.

I look forward to the next book in the series, especially since The W.H.O. Files – Potions in the Pizzae ends on a cliffhanger. Brooks has established an interesting world, one I want to revisit and share with all the kids I know. This is a very solid read.

Release Date: April 1, 2017 (USA)
ISBNs: 1944452281 (9781944452285)
Publisher: Future House Publishing
Language: English

Review copy kindly provided by the publisher.

MySF Rating: Four point zero stars
Family Friendliness: 100%

Content:

Alcohol/Drugs: 1 (potions)
Language: 0
Sexuality: 0
Violence: 1 (mild violence, mild peril)