The Courage of Cat Campbell

The Power of Poppy Pendle

by Natasha Lowe

Cat Campbell is a late-blooming witch whose magical abilities are bursting to be mastered in this charming coming-of-age story set in the world of The Power of Poppy Pendle.

Cat Campbell has had magical powers since the day she was born, but she didn’t always know that. Cat’s mother believes magic ruins lives, and even as Cat’s passion for magic grows over the years, no one suspects she has the gift. But she has indeed inherited the coveted magic gene of her famed great-great-grandmother Mabel, a discovery she makes in a most surprising way. Cat is a witch! And when she comes across a book called The Late Bloomer’s Guide to Magic, she finds the encouragement she needs and spells that work. Then the town of Potts Bottom is threatened by a notoriously feared witch, and Cat has the chance to help her family and town—and to prove herself in the process. Because, as The Late Bloomer’s Guide to Magic proclaims, “believing in your magic and yourself is half the battle.”

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Childrens, Witches, Magic, Fiction, Juvenile

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 6, 2015

About the author

From here face book page (https://www.facebook.com/natashalowe....)

About:
Natasha Lowe is the author of "The Power of Poppy Pendle" and companion book "The Courage of Cat Campbell" (late 2014) -both published by Simon & Schuster.

Biography:
Natasha Lowe knew as a child that she wanted to be either a writer, an adventurer, or a fancy tea-shop owner. So she did a little bit of everything, traveling from her native London to America, where she ran the Tea House bed-and-breakfast and wowed guests with her grandmother's shortbread recipe. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and four children.

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cat Campbell has always dreamed of being a witch and attending the Ruthersfield School of Witchcraft. When she receives the gift of magic, her mom tries to dissuade her from being a witch making Cat's dream of being a witch not to come true. Determined to prove her mom and everyone wrong, Cat must try her best to be the best witch ever. Will she succeed and can she save the world from the evil witch Madeline Reynolds? Read and find out for yourself.

This was a pretty good middle grade YA coming of age story about believing in yourself, following your dreams and more. If you enjoy these books, definitely check this book out for yourself. This book is available at your local library and wherever books are sold online and in bookstores.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, so, darling!

I loved seeing what happened to Poppy as an adult, and her daughter Cat. At first I was frustrated because Poppy wasn't listening to her own daughter, the way her parents hadn't listened to her. But as it went along, I felt that it handled really well how Poppy was still dealing with her own trauma and how worried she was that her daughter not have the horrible time she had. This really wrapped up Poppy's story, as well as being a fun adventure for Cat.

[Colette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an adorable read! I loved it even more than Poppy! Overall 4/5 stars; would definitely recommend!

[Belles Middle Grade Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing witchy adventure! I’m absolutely loving these books! This one follows Poppy’s daughter Cat. Where Poppy hated magic, Cat loves it, & wants nothing more than to be a witch. We get to get another lesson to learn from when a parent, in a way, does to their kid what their parents did to them. Not as bad as Poppy’s parents, but still. I loved seeing Cat find her courage, & go after her dreams. Never giving up, & doing whatever it took to make those dreams happen. It was great seeing the characters from the first book, & I also loved a new character-Peter. He’s Poppy’s best friends son, & he & Cat become even closer friends than they were before in this. I loved their dynamic. I loved the whole storyline, & how the past from the 1st book was interwoven so perfectly. I highly recommend this one too! Another beautiful cover as well!💜

[Teresa Barrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Nem zentar topello: Don't let fear stand in your way."
This story follows Poppy's daughter, Cat and her desire and wish to become a witch.
Cat desperately wants to become a witch, but hasn't developed her powers yet all to the relief of her mother, Poppy.
Poppy wants Cat to have nothing to do with witchcraft fearing the danger from her own experience from the past would endanger Cat.
As Cat is searching for a cap for her project in her grandparents attic, she comes across her mother's old witchcraft books and wand and eventually is happy when she's able to do magic. But all isn't as great as it seem and her magic is out of control.
Not only with her magic uncontrollable, the evil witch, Madeline has escaped from Scrubs prison and the town of Potts Bottom is on edge.
I won't go further in detail as I don't want to spoil anything, but I loved this book as much, maybe even more as the first book.
An enjoyable read.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friend saw this book at a bookstore and sent me a picture of it. Because the author shares my name and the cover makes it seem like I book I would write. I didn't write this one, but it was a delightful read! I've also added it to my list of books to read my daughter, and will check out the other two books in this series as well.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Courage of Cat Campbell was adorable. Cat herself was such an endearing heroine, she loves magic and loves being a witch, even if her own mother is kind of against it, since she, Poppy, believes magic runs life and she much rather Cat became a baker like herself.

Like I said, sweet story. Cat was so very likable, and for me she was the thing that worked the best in the story. The rest, well... I didn't know this was sequel until I had started and I felt like the author often fell back on explaining things that happened in the previous book (Cat's Mom story) and spoiled things a bit.

And at times the writing was a little unfocused, and at such time the book was easy to put down.

But I was glad to have read the book and make it to the end. I liked the style over all and I enjoyed the town a lot, it seemed like another character.

[Kylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even more adorable than the first!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is so fun! I just love the world and all of it's characters. These books could so easily be animated movies.

Anyway, Cat is Poppy's daughter. Poppy is all grown up, married and has a daughter. And acts just like her parents. Seriously made me mad. I loved Poppy. How could she keep her daughter from her dream just like her parents did to her? Yes I know she hates magic and sees it as evil, but she has to know there are plenty of nice witches.

So Cat is a very late bloomer. Poppy is so happy because by 11 Cat has no magic. Then Cat is frightened and her magic comes out. But magic brought on by fear is uncontrollable and Ruthersfield school won't enroll her. Cat thinks she can just learn to face her fears, control her magic and reapply.

There is a very sweet and funny bit with her kinda cousin Peter giving her a spider to face her fears. Cat was so determined to befriend that spider.

Along side this story, the evil Madeleine Reynolds has escaped prison and the entire planet is in fear of what she will do.

The entire bit of Cat deciding that she will take on Madeleine is so courageous. Maybe a touch silly, but she believed in herself. Peter believes in her too. He is a great wing man.

In the end Poppy redeems herself in my estimation, so if you are reading it and getting upset, hold on and keep reading. It really is a fantastic story!

[liso · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️ - Read with my somewhat sensitive kids. 6yo girl and 9 yo boy. They like adventure but we can’t do things that are too intense. This was the perfect amount. It also has a bit of magic without being a really in your face fantasy book (which I can’t handle. Sorry, kids.) There’s a “villain” and they talk about her being the most evil witch in the world but the only detail on what makes her evil is that she “washed out half of Italy” so it felt very vague to them.

For sensitive parents, the word stupid is used several times and the Mother uses the word “hate” lots of times throughout the book, usually in reference to hating magic... and there’s a lot of Cat sneaking around from her Mom and even outright lying to her several times, so she’s not the best role model. She is a determined character and fierce about getting what she wanted, but if you don’t like these examples in books, it might not be great for you.

I think the kids would really enjoy the other books in the series but I think there’s other better books we’ll probably explore instead.

[Maya Malcolm · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Courage of Cat Campbell (a.k.a the sequel of Poppy Pendle) is an excellent book. I would recommend it to any tween who loves fiction books. This book is about a girl who loves magic, meanwhile, her mom, Poppy Pendle, is against magic and thinks it ruins lives. Cat has adored witches and magic from a young age and would do anything to become a young witch and go to Ruthersfield Academy. Little did she know she had powers since she was a little girl but she didn't know that until later in the book after her mother, Poppy, refused to take her to Ruthersfield Academy.

[Zazie · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this book took 4 months to finish, I loved every chapter very much. I love the idea of witches not being into spells. Very creative, in my opinion. We never see this kind of story in books.

I recommend this book to anyone who has read the first one in the series and enjoyed it. I had fun reading these 2 books and look forward to reading the next 2 books. Let's hope I can finish both this year, too.

[Addi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story about Cat (Catherine) who was a brave girl who wanted to be a witch. There is another book called The Power of Poppy Pendle, that is about Cat's mum when she was a child (Also a 5 star read). In this book Cat uses her bravery to show everyone her passion. Can't wait to read The Marvelous Magic of Miss Mabel next.

[Lisa Stice · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter (9) and I read The Courage of Cat Campbell together. We were excited that it involves the adventures of Poppy's daughter and that we got to see Poppy as a Mom deal with the same parenting challenges that her parents struggled through with her. This is an honest book that deals with parent/child relationships, classmates and friends, bullying, and self-confidence.

[Sloane H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and cosy read! It took me a while to get through because I kept getting distracted lol. I think I liked it towards the end more than the beginning- poppy was a little hard to like at first and I feel like catching a witch from Scrubs Prison at age 11 is a little hard to imagine, but this is for a younger audience! Overall great read!

[Lindy MacLaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light book, fun characters, great sense of possibility and character growth. The link between courage, perseverance, and passion is beautifully brought to life. I love that Cat longs to be a witch, while her mother, Poppy was a natural witch but longed to be a baker. Ah, life!

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a 'cute' middle grade book or even elementary level. It can stand alone as it is #2 in the series. I liked the theme of 'don't let fear stand in your way'. This is whimsical and magical--it also has recipes! It's YOUNG for teens but great for tweens.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me way too long to read this book. It wasn't a hard read or a bad read, I'd just rather crochet. I am a big fat of Cat but Pete was my favorite part of the book.
Overall cute and I'd read it again

[Lydia Kass · Rating 5 out of 5]

The late bloomer Cat Campell finally comes into her magic, but when she asks to go to Rutherford Academy for Witches, her mother Poppy Pendle vehemently denies her. So Cat decides she must prove herself, by capturing the most dangerous witch Margaret, after she escapes witches prison.

[Claudette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have liked it more if Cat's mom hadn't done to Cat what she hated her own parents doing to her.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute little series.

[Jonina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s really frustrating reading about parents who won’t let their kids follow their dreams but this is a great book.

[Cecilia Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lowe returns to Potts Bottom and Poppy, and her daughter: Cat.
Unlike her mother, Cat desperately wants to become a witch.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read with 8 and 10 yo children. They loved the fantasy in this book.

[Lilly Rock · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a rather cute read.

[Cee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cat Campbell wants nothing more than to be a witch and go to the local school for witchcraft. But although the gene runs in her family, Cat doesn't show a spark of magic for years. Then she accidentally finds her mom's old wand, and turns a spider into a rainbow of colours. Now she only has to convince her mother to let her be a witch.

I could so relate to Cat. When I was young, I wanted to be a witch too and go to Hogwarts! Now, in Cat's case, magic actually exists, and she's faced with the girls that go to the magic school every day. They ride around on broomsticks and have pretty purple uniforms, and she'd give just about anything to be one of them.

The Courage of Cat Campbell is a very sweet story about carving out your own path, even if that goes against the wishes of your parents. Now I'm personally ambiguous about the message the book gives - I do think you shouldn't follow the path your parents make up for you just because they decided on it, but on the other hand there is such a thing as impossible dreams (like deciding to become a princess). In The Courage of Cat Campbell Cat's dream is a very obtainable one, so I didn't mind her setting her sights on magic, even though her mom is strongly opposed to it.

Though this is a sequel, you don't need to have read The Power of Poppy Pendle to enjoy this one. Almost the entire Poppy story is recapped in Cat Campbell, so you will know exactly what has happened before. On the other hand, you will also get spoiled about the resolution of the Poppy Pendle story.

I loved the setting of the book in Potts Bottom. The otherworldly objects have clever names, without being over the top. The whole story is well though-out, and there is an adorable friendship between Cat and the boy that's practically her cousin. I recommend this book for all those peoples out there that want to follow their dreams (preferably magic ones), despite what other people think.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cat Campbell loves magic. Her greatest wish in life is to inherit her mother's magic gene. Her mom, Poppy, hates magic and gave up her magical ability to follow her passion and become a baker. She wants Cat to have nothing to do with magic because she thinks it just ruins your life. Magic usually appears in kids as toddlers, but Cat still retains hope that she will be a Late Bloomer even though she is already eleven.

One day while digging through her grandparents attic she comes across her mom's old magic textbooks and wand. A scary encounter with a spider (Cat's greatest fear) leads to Cat's magical awakening. But her magic is hard to control and doesn't come easy to her. When she finally convinces her mom to let her apply for Ruthersfield, the magical school, Cat doesn't get in. Then the most evil witch in history escapes. Cat thinks if she can capture Madeline Reynolds she will prove that she deserves to go to Ruthersfield and be a witch.

I really liked Cat Campbell. I thought she was a wonderfully spunky heroine who wants nothing more than to follow her dreams. I thought this was a great message to readers about not giving up and finding your passion. My one quibble was Poppy. Cat's parents are always going on about how they found what they are passionate about and have followed their dreams. Yet Poppy does pretty much everything she can to dissuade Cat from her dreams and passions. Not having read the Poppy story maybe there is more to it, but it seemed so hypocritical. She does come around in the end, but it spoiled the story just a bit for me.

[Stacy Sabala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review- The Courage of Cat Campbell by Natasha Lowe

Cat wants to be a witch. It is her biggest wish and she hopes she has inherited her mother’s magic gene. Her mother gave up magic and became a baker. Magic ruined her life and she wants no part in it. She is relieved when Cat continues to be unable to do magic. Cat, on the other hand, is devastated.
One day when Cat is in her grandmother’s attic, her luck changes all thanks to a scary spider. Her mother is not thrilled but allows her to interview at Ruthersfield. The school for witches that Cat has been dreaming about her whole life. Things don’t go as planned and the escape of the dreaded Madeline Reynolds changes everything.

This was a great story to read. Cat is passionate about magic and knows it is exactly what she wants to do. She is determined to keep trying and follow her dreams. The author wrote a wonderful character that does her best and works hard. I like the fact that Cat has to work for her magic. She appreciates everything she has. She wants to be able to do magic and refuses to let anything stand in her way, even her mother. It was a fabulous adventure that anyone can read filled with a courageous heroine. I give it a 4 out of 5.

[Sarah Hay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cat Campbell wants nothing more than to inherit the magical gene. But, at age 11, it is beginning to look like there is no magic in her. To make matters worse, her mother Poppy does have magical talents but she refuses to use them and instead pursues her passion for baking while hating all things related to magic. Cat spends her time watching the girls of the local magical academy wishing that she could be zipping around on broomsticks with them. Then, Cat finds her mothers old wands and spell books and Cat realizes that her dreams just might come true.
This book did feel a bit Harry Potter-ish (she finds out she is magical at age 11 and she really wants to fly on a broom...) but it is a sweet story about following your dreams, working hard, and persevering for what you want even if it is not always easy. Those who enjoy this book may also like its companion The Power of Poppy Pendle, which is the story of Cat's mother, but the books do not need to be read in order. Good for kids age 10 and up