The Weird Sisters: A Coop, Some Goop, and a Sandwich

The three “weird sisters” – Hildegurp, Yuckmina and Glubbifer and their cat Graymalkin – are now part of the Covenly community. They may be witches, but the people of Covenly have accepted them. They have even set up a ride called the Flying Broom at the Covenly Fall Fair. All seems to be going well as the children are enjoying the broom rides. However, next to their ride is a petting zoo managed by their nine-year-old friend, Jessica Nibley. The zoo has a variety of animals. including Jessica’s goat, Leona Swapnik’s prized chickens, as well as an array of frogs, bats and spiders from the Weird Sisters. Graymalkin is enjoying her nap in the chicken coop until the chickens wake her, and she wanders away to find another place to sleep.

There are several strange things happening at the fair. Cosmo Keene has agreed to promote Chelsea Oh’s food stand – Chelsea’s Chick’n Mart – by wearing a large chicken outfit. Unfortunately, he continues to spy on the sisters and is determined to expose their supernatural powers. The sisters are concerned because Graymalkin seems to be lost – along with Jessica’s prize chicken, Ruth Bader Ginsbruck, as well as the frog on display. While the search is on, the sisters turn their Flying Broom ride into a wild roller coaster ride. Young Rory is thrilled with this new attraction. The misadventures continue and involve other members of the community, including Rupert Flitch the real estate agent, Officer Golsa Nazeri, and Ron Bombast the mayor of Covenly.

The three weird sisters have definitely become part of the Covenly community. Though they may still be engaging in magic spells involving flying brooms, wild roller coaster rides and love potions, they have made connections and built friendships with many community members. Nosy neighbour Cosmo Keene may still be trying to “out” the sisters, but other community members have little patience for his paranoia. Officer Nazeri explains that Cosmo’s version of “following the rules” is not necessarily an accurate description of what the weird sisters are doing. She urges him to be more empathetic, “Mr. Keene, just because you don’t understand something doesn’t make it wrong.” (p. 38)

In this third early chapter book in the “Weird Sisters Detective Agency” series, young readers will once again be able to read an enjoyable, fast-paced, and amusing story about a variety of characters who make up the community of Covenly. Unlike the content found in some early chapter books, Mark David Smith does not hesitate to challenge readers with a complex storyline, a myriad of diverse characters, and amusing examples of wordplay. The black and white illustrations by Kari Rust reveal interesting details about the characters and the non-stop action. The addition of a recipe for Caramel Apples at the end of the book may inspire readers to make their own treats. As in the previous volumes in this series, the title reveals the elements that will be pivotal to the mystery element in the storyline – a coop, some goop, and a sandwich. Stay tuned for the next volume in “Weird Sisters Detective Agency” series!