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Wednesday Weeks and the Tower of Shadows
In a world of magic, can science save the day?
Wednesday Weeks never wanted to be a sorcerer's apprentice. She'd rather study science than magic. But when her cloak-wearing, staff-wielding grandpa is captured by a power-hungry goblin king, Wednesday must find a way to embrace her magical heritage and rescue him from the dreaded Tower of Shadows.
Luckily, she's not alone. Her best friend Alfie is a prime-number fan and robotics expert who's all-in on Wednesday's epic plan involving parallel universes, swords of power, and a wise-cracking talking skull.
But it's going to take more than science, magic, and the world's cutest robot to take down this bad guy. Because the goblin king is playing for the ultimate prize - and Wednesday and Alfie just walked into his trap...
Wednesday Weeks never wanted to be a sorcerer's apprentice. She'd rather study science than magic. But when her cloak-wearing, staff-wielding grandpa is captured by a power-hungry goblin king, Wednesday must find a way to embrace her magical heritage and rescue him from the dreaded Tower of Shadows.
Luckily, she's not alone. Her best friend Alfie is a prime-number fan and robotics expert who's all-in on Wednesday's epic plan involving parallel universes, swords of power, and a wise-cracking talking skull.
But it's going to take more than science, magic, and the world's cutest robot to take down this bad guy. Because the goblin king is playing for the ultimate prize - and Wednesday and Alfie just walked into his trap...
384 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2022
4 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Cristy Burne
23 books18 followersCristy Burne is an internationally published award-winning children’s author working on the intersection of story, science, technology and creativity.
Cristy has worked at CERN (home of the Large Hadron Collider!), at Questacon (as part of a science circus!), and in a ute (as a rubbish collector!). She has also bungee-jumped, sky-dived, back-packed, and exploded sewage on her neighbour.
Cristy’s books have been shortlisted for the WA Premier’s Book Awards and the Wilderness Society’s Environment Award for Children’s Literature, won the WA Young Readers Book Awards, and been recognised as Notable Books in the Children’s Book Council of the Australia awards.
Cristy’s latest titles include Fiona Wood: Inventor of Spray-on Skin, Beneath The Trees, and the co-authored Wednesday Weeks science-meets-fantasy series of comedy adventures.
Cristy has worked at CERN (home of the Large Hadron Collider!), at Questacon (as part of a science circus!), and in a ute (as a rubbish collector!). She has also bungee-jumped, sky-dived, back-packed, and exploded sewage on her neighbour.
Cristy’s books have been shortlisted for the WA Premier’s Book Awards and the Wilderness Society’s Environment Award for Children’s Literature, won the WA Young Readers Book Awards, and been recognised as Notable Books in the Children’s Book Council of the Australia awards.
Cristy’s latest titles include Fiona Wood: Inventor of Spray-on Skin, Beneath The Trees, and the co-authored Wednesday Weeks science-meets-fantasy series of comedy adventures.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 8, 2021
This is the rollicking first book in the new Wednesday Weeks series for children aged 8+ years old.
With her blue streak of hair and uncanny habit of setting coding robots on fire, Wednesday isn’t the average student.
Neither is her brainy friend Alfie.
Together, they leave their smoking classroom on a quest, with Wednesday’s grandfather, across the nine dimensions.
Full of gags, mathematical and science/coding problems this rewarding and enjoyable read is for all ages.
More, please!
With her blue streak of hair and uncanny habit of setting coding robots on fire, Wednesday isn’t the average student.
Neither is her brainy friend Alfie.
Together, they leave their smoking classroom on a quest, with Wednesday’s grandfather, across the nine dimensions.
Full of gags, mathematical and science/coding problems this rewarding and enjoyable read is for all ages.
More, please!
May 28, 2021
Funny, fast-paced, clever and packed full of banter. My sort of middle grade. Plus, extra lashings of STEM. Not to mention talking skulls, laundry krakens, and supreme tongue-in-cheek world building. My 9-year-old annexed this when it first arrived, and couldn't put it down. She gave it 6 stars out of 5.
Full disclosure - I know both authors (hey, one is my sister!) but I bought this book myself and my review is 100% honest.
Full disclosure - I know both authors (hey, one is my sister!) but I bought this book myself and my review is 100% honest.
May 6, 2021
Wednesday Weeks and the Tower of Shadows is the first in a new series by Denis Knight and Cristy Burne. It is an utterly fantastical story - the Alice in Wonderland for modern readers. This Alice, however, is not about to follow the path laid out for her; she's going to go her own way! On an epic journey through other realms, Wednesday and her best friend Alfie battle pink slugs, giant laundry monsters and faery soldiers with the courage and determination of true literary heroes.
Denis Knight and Cristy Burne are co-writers of the book, each coming from a background in science and technology. They used their respective backgrounds to enrich the book with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) principles, putting Wednesday through trials in each realm she visits so that she must use STEM principles to get herself out of trouble. Whether readers realise it or not, they are learning the concepts of STEM as they read. To further educate young readers, they have created fun activities for kids to try either in the classroom or at home - an excellent accompaniment to the book.
Wednesday Weeks and the Tower of Shadows is an innovative book for middle-grade readers. If they (or you!) enjoyed Artemis Fowl or The Witching Hours, Wednesday's adventures should be next on your reading list.
Denis Knight and Cristy Burne are co-writers of the book, each coming from a background in science and technology. They used their respective backgrounds to enrich the book with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) principles, putting Wednesday through trials in each realm she visits so that she must use STEM principles to get herself out of trouble. Whether readers realise it or not, they are learning the concepts of STEM as they read. To further educate young readers, they have created fun activities for kids to try either in the classroom or at home - an excellent accompaniment to the book.
Wednesday Weeks and the Tower of Shadows is an innovative book for middle-grade readers. If they (or you!) enjoyed Artemis Fowl or The Witching Hours, Wednesday's adventures should be next on your reading list.
May 14, 2021
This hilarious new series is perfect for fans of Nevermoor and Artemis Fowl. Our main protagonists Wednesday Weeks rather study science than magic. Unfortunately, her gramps is determined to make her his apprentice.
One day Wednesday is plucked away from her science class by her grandpa-- after a science experiment fiasco--to begin her magic apprenticeship more seriously in a pocket dimension. But everything goes haywire when her gramps' archenemies comes back and kidnaps her grandpa. Soon Wednesday teams up with her genius best friend Alfie and very reluctant talking skull Bruce to find a way to rescue her grandpa and stop the goblin king from taking over the cosmos!
This delightful tale had me cackling and desperately wishing it to never end. Much like other middle grade novels Wednesday Weeks and the Tower of Shadows highlights the love that exists in friends and family, but also the persistence that comes with wanting to make sure they are safe even when you have no clue how to do that.
Even though Wednesday is very unsure of her capabilities, she is very sure that the only way to fail is by not trying. She was so easy to love and cheer for.
While the plot was a bit predictable, I still found it immersive. Although there is nothing wrong with knowing how the story will go because most of the time the journey is full of heart-racing moments.
Overall, this scientifically wondrous tale is definitely one to add to your TBR list. It promotes the importance of science while infusing it with magic! I am super excited to see where Wednesday’s story goes.
Thank yo Hachette Australia for providing me a finished copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinion are my own.
One day Wednesday is plucked away from her science class by her grandpa-- after a science experiment fiasco--to begin her magic apprenticeship more seriously in a pocket dimension. But everything goes haywire when her gramps' archenemies comes back and kidnaps her grandpa. Soon Wednesday teams up with her genius best friend Alfie and very reluctant talking skull Bruce to find a way to rescue her grandpa and stop the goblin king from taking over the cosmos!
This delightful tale had me cackling and desperately wishing it to never end. Much like other middle grade novels Wednesday Weeks and the Tower of Shadows highlights the love that exists in friends and family, but also the persistence that comes with wanting to make sure they are safe even when you have no clue how to do that.
Even though Wednesday is very unsure of her capabilities, she is very sure that the only way to fail is by not trying. She was so easy to love and cheer for.
While the plot was a bit predictable, I still found it immersive. Although there is nothing wrong with knowing how the story will go because most of the time the journey is full of heart-racing moments.
Overall, this scientifically wondrous tale is definitely one to add to your TBR list. It promotes the importance of science while infusing it with magic! I am super excited to see where Wednesday’s story goes.
Thank yo Hachette Australia for providing me a finished copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinion are my own.
July 18, 2021
Super fun, witty and exciting. A classic 'chosen one' story, with more humour and less angst thank you often get.
August 3, 2021
Magic and science don’t often go together. Magic is mysterious and unexplainable whereas science is grounded in fact and can always be explained. Both magic and science are equally important in Denis Knight and Cristy Burne’s new series, Wednesday Weeks. The first book in the series, Wednesday Weeks and the Tower of Shadows, is out now and it’s absolutely brilliant!
Wednesday Weeks is always accidentally creating havoc, whether it’s setting things on fire or blowing things up. Her teacher knows what to expect and keeps a fire extinguisher handy at all times. If that wasn’t bad enough her sorcerer grandfather keeps materialising in her classroom, ready to take his apprentice away. Wednesday never asked to be a sorcerer’s apprentice, but her grandpa keeps showing up. One day, Wednesday will be the Protector of the Realms and her grandpa needs her to be ready. When Wednesday and her grandpa travel to the Realm of Slugs, they are attacked by the fire-flinging, psychotic goblin king, Gorgomoth. Grandpa refuses to give Gorgomoth the Ruby Ring, with which he would enslave the Nine Realms, so Gorgomoth takes grandpa and disappears through a void. Together with her best friend Alfie, a prime-number fan and robotics expert, and a wise-cracking talking skull called Bruce, Wednesday must learn to control her magic so that she can rescue her grandpa from the Tower of Darkness. Together they will have to solve puzzles, outwit fairies and survive a laundry maze to reach the Pit of Extreme Discomfort in the heart of the Tower of Darkness.
Wednesday Weeks and the Tower of Shadows is an epically awesome adventure that had me laughing out loud the whole way. There is something for everyone in this story, whether you like coding and mathematical problems, magic spells and sorcerers, or power-crazy villains and sarcastic sidekicks. Wednesday and Alfie are two characters that I would follow anywhere. Between them they can solve any problem that comes their way.
The book is bursting with humour, from the characters, like Bruce the wise-cracking talking skull, to the witty dialogue, and Denis and Cristy’s spot-on comedic timing. There are so many parts of the story that made me laugh out loud, like the fact that there is a Realm of Unfriendly Cats, or that Wednesday’s grandpa has a Settee of Interdimensional Contemplation. I love that Bruce is totally sarcastic and you never know what will come out of his mouth. You can tell that Denis and Cristy had a lot of fun writing this story and really let their imaginations go wild. I mean, a maze in a laundry, filled with clothing that turns into a kraken?! Fantastic!
Wednesday Weeks and the Tower of Shadows has me hooked on the series. I’m super excited for book two, Wednesday Weeks and the Crown of Destiny, which is out in September. I can’t wait for more adventures with Wednesday, Alfie and Bruce!
Wednesday Weeks is always accidentally creating havoc, whether it’s setting things on fire or blowing things up. Her teacher knows what to expect and keeps a fire extinguisher handy at all times. If that wasn’t bad enough her sorcerer grandfather keeps materialising in her classroom, ready to take his apprentice away. Wednesday never asked to be a sorcerer’s apprentice, but her grandpa keeps showing up. One day, Wednesday will be the Protector of the Realms and her grandpa needs her to be ready. When Wednesday and her grandpa travel to the Realm of Slugs, they are attacked by the fire-flinging, psychotic goblin king, Gorgomoth. Grandpa refuses to give Gorgomoth the Ruby Ring, with which he would enslave the Nine Realms, so Gorgomoth takes grandpa and disappears through a void. Together with her best friend Alfie, a prime-number fan and robotics expert, and a wise-cracking talking skull called Bruce, Wednesday must learn to control her magic so that she can rescue her grandpa from the Tower of Darkness. Together they will have to solve puzzles, outwit fairies and survive a laundry maze to reach the Pit of Extreme Discomfort in the heart of the Tower of Darkness.
Wednesday Weeks and the Tower of Shadows is an epically awesome adventure that had me laughing out loud the whole way. There is something for everyone in this story, whether you like coding and mathematical problems, magic spells and sorcerers, or power-crazy villains and sarcastic sidekicks. Wednesday and Alfie are two characters that I would follow anywhere. Between them they can solve any problem that comes their way.
The book is bursting with humour, from the characters, like Bruce the wise-cracking talking skull, to the witty dialogue, and Denis and Cristy’s spot-on comedic timing. There are so many parts of the story that made me laugh out loud, like the fact that there is a Realm of Unfriendly Cats, or that Wednesday’s grandpa has a Settee of Interdimensional Contemplation. I love that Bruce is totally sarcastic and you never know what will come out of his mouth. You can tell that Denis and Cristy had a lot of fun writing this story and really let their imaginations go wild. I mean, a maze in a laundry, filled with clothing that turns into a kraken?! Fantastic!
Wednesday Weeks and the Tower of Shadows has me hooked on the series. I’m super excited for book two, Wednesday Weeks and the Crown of Destiny, which is out in September. I can’t wait for more adventures with Wednesday, Alfie and Bruce!
May 25, 2021
Wednesday loves Science, but she’s having trouble passing her School Science tests. Lately, every time she performs a class experiment, something catches fire or explodes!
Little does her teacher know, Wednesday is also learning magic. Her great great grandad is a powerful sorcerer and determined to teach Wednesday everything she will need to know in order to save the world. She is the 1st in seven generations to develop any magical powers and is to be the next Protector of the Realms. Grandad always says this in a very serious voice.
Usually shrugging all this doom and pressure off, Wednesday would be happy just to pass her Science class. Somehow the Science and magic gets muddled up when she’s concentrating in a test.
What’s really annoying is Grandpa turning up in the middle of class to demand she go for more training. A memory spell is handy each time so her classmates and teachers don’t comment, but still, how is she supposed to finish anything?
When her Maths whizz-Science geek-best friend-Alfie follows Wednesday and Grandad through a portal, they are shocked and surprised to see him. As expected though, Alfie has a million questions. He learns there are Nine Realms they have to guard. Among them are the Human Realm (ours of course), The Goblin Realm, The Faery Realm, and The Slug Realm. There is The Realm of Sea Things, The Realm of Unfriendly Cats and more.
Grandad’s ruby ring is key in protecting these Realms. Without warning, a horned, black, flaming, spiky, giant rises out of the Slug Realm in front of them. Gorgomoth by name and evil by nature, he demands Grandad hand over the ring. He has a “hot date with enslaving the universe.”
Grandad has other ideas, which enslave him instead. Now Wednesday and Alfie and a good friend of Grandads (that just happens to be a skull called Bruce), have to save Grandad and the future existence of the Nine Realms.
Ever wonder where your lost sock went? What about your favourite hat, comfy PJ bottoms or borrowed top? In an epic quest, Wednesday and crew have to fight off laundry kraken, outwit gross goblins, unravel puzzles, and conjure magic like never before.
Part Max Einstein, Harry Potter and Lockwood & Co, with a dash of Indiana Jones and Beetlejuice, Wednesday Weeks and The Tower of Shadows is funny, imaginative, action-packed and magical. Science and Maths make cameo appearances and so does logic, cunning and courage.
This is the 1st in a series with No. 2 out September 2021. A rollicking adventure amongst magical creatures from pink slugs and a brainy skull, to a spiky haired Tooth Fairy and a maniacal Fire God.
Little does her teacher know, Wednesday is also learning magic. Her great great grandad is a powerful sorcerer and determined to teach Wednesday everything she will need to know in order to save the world. She is the 1st in seven generations to develop any magical powers and is to be the next Protector of the Realms. Grandad always says this in a very serious voice.
Usually shrugging all this doom and pressure off, Wednesday would be happy just to pass her Science class. Somehow the Science and magic gets muddled up when she’s concentrating in a test.
What’s really annoying is Grandpa turning up in the middle of class to demand she go for more training. A memory spell is handy each time so her classmates and teachers don’t comment, but still, how is she supposed to finish anything?
When her Maths whizz-Science geek-best friend-Alfie follows Wednesday and Grandad through a portal, they are shocked and surprised to see him. As expected though, Alfie has a million questions. He learns there are Nine Realms they have to guard. Among them are the Human Realm (ours of course), The Goblin Realm, The Faery Realm, and The Slug Realm. There is The Realm of Sea Things, The Realm of Unfriendly Cats and more.
Grandad’s ruby ring is key in protecting these Realms. Without warning, a horned, black, flaming, spiky, giant rises out of the Slug Realm in front of them. Gorgomoth by name and evil by nature, he demands Grandad hand over the ring. He has a “hot date with enslaving the universe.”
Grandad has other ideas, which enslave him instead. Now Wednesday and Alfie and a good friend of Grandads (that just happens to be a skull called Bruce), have to save Grandad and the future existence of the Nine Realms.
Ever wonder where your lost sock went? What about your favourite hat, comfy PJ bottoms or borrowed top? In an epic quest, Wednesday and crew have to fight off laundry kraken, outwit gross goblins, unravel puzzles, and conjure magic like never before.
Part Max Einstein, Harry Potter and Lockwood & Co, with a dash of Indiana Jones and Beetlejuice, Wednesday Weeks and The Tower of Shadows is funny, imaginative, action-packed and magical. Science and Maths make cameo appearances and so does logic, cunning and courage.
This is the 1st in a series with No. 2 out September 2021. A rollicking adventure amongst magical creatures from pink slugs and a brainy skull, to a spiky haired Tooth Fairy and a maniacal Fire God.
March 18, 2022
"Apparently, other people's grandpas bring them sweets and read them stories. Mine drags me through the Nine Realms of space and time because a sword told him I'm destined to save the universe. Go figure, right?"
Wednesday Weeks is just trying to pass robotics without accidentally randomly setting things on fire, when her weird magic grandpa shows up, makes her jump through a black void, and sucks her and her brainy best mate Alfie into a wild adventure involving waist-deep slugs, a wise-cracking skull, a faery called Captain Schnooky, a hungry kraken made of laundry, and a good dose of magic mixed with science.
This book is a non-stop middle grade fantasy joyride from start to finish. It's like Percy Jackson meets Indiana Jones but with STEM. It's like a kid's coding app and an escape room had a baby and that baby was a book.
Wednesday and Alfie solve their problems along the way with maths, coding, robotics, and even kindness, all in the quest to save Wednesday's enigmatic grandpa.
"I roll my eyes. 'It's not magic, Grandpa. It's science.'
'Nonsense.' Grandpa shakes his head. 'I'm sure there's a perfectly rational explanation. Something in his horoscope, perhaps.'"
The first person narrative voice of Year 6er Wednesday is zippy, fun and irreverent, and a great sense of wry humour pervades the storytelling. Madcap, imaginative and amusing situations abound, and the friendships carry just the right amount of depth for this type and level of story.
This is a book that is truly aimed at its target audience - i.e. 8-12 year olds - and I am so here for that. It doesn't try to be sophisticated or straddle some kind of "for kids but kind of also for adults" middle ground like some books do. It is unapologetically a children's novel and having a 10 year old myself, I found it really refreshing to read about kids this age acting like kids this age, in a way kids this age will enjoy.
Here finally we have a kids fantasy that is age appropriate, Australian based, incorporates STEM concepts, has a female main character with a Indian boy bestie... oh and Bruce the talking skull, of course! I think this is a really welcome addition to the middle grade landscape and I think the target audience will devour it. Luckily it's a series, so plenty more wild science-magicy fun to come!
Wednesday Weeks is just trying to pass robotics without accidentally randomly setting things on fire, when her weird magic grandpa shows up, makes her jump through a black void, and sucks her and her brainy best mate Alfie into a wild adventure involving waist-deep slugs, a wise-cracking skull, a faery called Captain Schnooky, a hungry kraken made of laundry, and a good dose of magic mixed with science.
This book is a non-stop middle grade fantasy joyride from start to finish. It's like Percy Jackson meets Indiana Jones but with STEM. It's like a kid's coding app and an escape room had a baby and that baby was a book.
Wednesday and Alfie solve their problems along the way with maths, coding, robotics, and even kindness, all in the quest to save Wednesday's enigmatic grandpa.
"I roll my eyes. 'It's not magic, Grandpa. It's science.'
'Nonsense.' Grandpa shakes his head. 'I'm sure there's a perfectly rational explanation. Something in his horoscope, perhaps.'"
The first person narrative voice of Year 6er Wednesday is zippy, fun and irreverent, and a great sense of wry humour pervades the storytelling. Madcap, imaginative and amusing situations abound, and the friendships carry just the right amount of depth for this type and level of story.
This is a book that is truly aimed at its target audience - i.e. 8-12 year olds - and I am so here for that. It doesn't try to be sophisticated or straddle some kind of "for kids but kind of also for adults" middle ground like some books do. It is unapologetically a children's novel and having a 10 year old myself, I found it really refreshing to read about kids this age acting like kids this age, in a way kids this age will enjoy.
Here finally we have a kids fantasy that is age appropriate, Australian based, incorporates STEM concepts, has a female main character with a Indian boy bestie... oh and Bruce the talking skull, of course! I think this is a really welcome addition to the middle grade landscape and I think the target audience will devour it. Luckily it's a series, so plenty more wild science-magicy fun to come!
Read
January 5, 2026In a world of magic, can science save the day? Wednesday Weeks never wanted to be a sorcerer's apprentice. She'd rather study science than magic. But when her cloak-wearing, staff-wielding grandpa is captured by a power-hungry goblin king, Wednesday must find a way to embrace her magical heritage and rescue him from the dreaded Tower of Shadows. Luckily, she's not alone. Her best friend Alfie is a prime-number fan and robotics expert who's all-in on Wednesday's epic plan involving parallel universes, swords of power, and a wise-cracking talking skull. But it's going to take more than science, magic, and the world's cutest robot to take down this bad guy. Because the goblin king is playing for the ultimate prize - and Wednesday and Alfie just walked into his trap...
Appeal: fast-paced, first person narratives, funny, richly detailed
Subject: apprentice, inheritance and succession, kidnapping, magic, STEM
Appeal: fast-paced, first person narratives, funny, richly detailed
Subject: apprentice, inheritance and succession, kidnapping, magic, STEM
June 27, 2021
Wednesday has a grandfather who pops into her class whisks her away and wipes all her classmates and teacher’s memories. She wants a life and friends. Being whipped away is getting her a reputation for being a bit unusual. Luckily, she has an unusual friend. Alfie is a maths science whizz, but Wednesday is his only friend.
Grandpa vanishes and leaves Wednesday and Alfie in a pit of pink slugs. How do they get out? How do they find Grandpa? Who is the talking skull?
I enjoyed the pace, humour and the science and maths twists.
Recommended for Middle Grade.
Grandpa vanishes and leaves Wednesday and Alfie in a pit of pink slugs. How do they get out? How do they find Grandpa? Who is the talking skull?
I enjoyed the pace, humour and the science and maths twists.
Recommended for Middle Grade.
July 26, 2021
3.5
What a hoot!
WednesdayWeeks is a funny, pacey, non-stop adventure that celebrates magic, science, family and friendship.
It's packed with enjoyable silly (and clever) humour and scenarios and the science is always teased into the magic fluidly - in fact, 90s kids I'm looking at you - it reminds me of that old PC game 'Doctor Brain'.
It's got slugs and goblins and a laundry monster and a lot of magical attitude, and my personal favourite, talking skulls (second only to talking ravens).
A funny and fast read that is always entertaining!
Out now with Hachette.
What a hoot!
WednesdayWeeks is a funny, pacey, non-stop adventure that celebrates magic, science, family and friendship.
It's packed with enjoyable silly (and clever) humour and scenarios and the science is always teased into the magic fluidly - in fact, 90s kids I'm looking at you - it reminds me of that old PC game 'Doctor Brain'.
It's got slugs and goblins and a laundry monster and a lot of magical attitude, and my personal favourite, talking skulls (second only to talking ravens).
A funny and fast read that is always entertaining!
Out now with Hachette.
April 21, 2021
A fun read, this story follows Wednesday Weeks and her friend Alfie on an adventure through different dimensions.
The mix of magic and science is well done and entertaining. And the tongue-in-cheek humour is enjoyable--in some ways reminiscent of Adams and Pratchett.
The mix of magic and science is well done and entertaining. And the tongue-in-cheek humour is enjoyable--in some ways reminiscent of Adams and Pratchett.
Read
September 22, 2021Wednesday and Alfie are best friends who set out to rescue Wednesday’s kidnapped grandfather from a goblin king. They encounter faeries and learn to harness magic and apply science to save him during their fantastical adventure which is very humourous.
March 25, 2023
Great mix of science,STEAM and fantasy. Used this as a read aloud and we got quite involved. Loved mix of human, robot, wizard, fairy and skull characters.
2023- pop sugar reading challenge a book set in a day.
2023- pop sugar reading challenge a book set in a day.
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March 7, 2022Such an enjoyable read! However, I will not be rating the book as I am not the target audience. I highly recommend for younger middle grade readers 8+.
Read
June 14, 2024Wednesday is a sorcerer's apprentice! Enjoy this story of Wednesday and her friend Alfie on a magical journey to rescue her grandfather! Ages 9-10.
January 30, 2025
read in 27 minutes. that's I have to say.
February 9, 2026
Read this to my daughter - funny and fun, and a little educational!
November 13, 2021
This is an exciting and action-packed Middle-Grade adventure. Denis Knight has a wonderful imagination and seems to draw on inspiration from other authors at times. Parts of this tale reminded me of certain Enid Blyton adventures, although much more fantastic. Denis combines drama with humour plus science and maths, (co-authored by Cristy Burne) which is a bonus for the young reader. His descriptive writing is just brilliant and I could envisage every scene. Even I enjoyed the maths (not my best subject by far, but I was good at science in high school.) The author cleverly brings in good old standbys, like bi-carb soda and vinegar to quench an unquenchable fire hurled by the antagonist at the protagonist, Wednesday, and her affable and brilliant side-kick Alfie. I know the benefits of those two ingredients and I loved the fact that he included the scientific formula as well. I had a chuckle at the skull being called Bruce-it seems to be a name coming back into favour. (I have a Koala puppet named Bruce, which I made earlier this year). The STEM activities at the end of the book provide a stimulus for those in the age group readership. A fun read, a page-turner. I would venture to say it is rather Enid Blyton with a thoroughly modern twist, that also contains elements of other magical books from previous authors.
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September 2, 2021Wednesday Weeks and the Tower of Shadows is a fun adventure, led by Wednesday and Alfie, two year six students. Reluctantly apprenticed to her grandfather, Wednesday must learn to control and appreciate her magical abilities. Alfie, an enthusiastic friend and maths and coding genius gets swept into the quest to rescue Wednesday’s grandfather from the clutches of the evil Gorgomoth. Aided by Bruce the skull, the story maintains a great pace. The style is reminiscent of Terry Pratchet, with good humour, a touch of grossness and a sense of the reader being included in “inside jokes”. With male and female main characters who challenge traditional gender stereotypes, this book is an attainable read for grades 4-7. In The Tower of Shadows, a world is created that is sure to be the imaginative setting for many more titles in this series.
June 25, 2023
Maybe I was drawn to this book because Wednesday reminded me of my niece who has a stunning streak of white (rather than blue) through her dark locks. Certainly the back cover teaser failed to raise a spark of interest. But a couple of chapters in and I’m whisked from science class and a robotic fail to a magical realm of slugs by the ‘ Master’ Grandpa. Wednesday Weeks, all accident-prone magic apprentice, thankfully has bf science genius Alfie to balance the chi. Together the team of two make a decent start on rescuing Grandpa and fulfilling her destiny as Protector of the Realms. I forgive some clunky phrases (“totally molten” -seriously??) because it’s a crack-up cranking adventure with more to come. 4.5stars
November 5, 2021
A fun adventure about a little girl who like science but lives in a magical world.
Wednesday loves science and is frustrated her magic gets in the way of doing it. She gets dragged onto an adventure when her Grandfather gets kidnapped by an evil overlord and it’s up to Wednesday, he science friend Alfie and a talking skull to save the universes.
I enjoyed the humour and science problem solving that were written into the story. The overall story was light and fun with nothing to “scary” or dramatic happening.
Overall not a bad start to the series and I will be curious to see what other adventures these characters get to go on.
Wednesday loves science and is frustrated her magic gets in the way of doing it. She gets dragged onto an adventure when her Grandfather gets kidnapped by an evil overlord and it’s up to Wednesday, he science friend Alfie and a talking skull to save the universes.
I enjoyed the humour and science problem solving that were written into the story. The overall story was light and fun with nothing to “scary” or dramatic happening.
Overall not a bad start to the series and I will be curious to see what other adventures these characters get to go on.
July 25, 2022
Five star read for me! What joy! Full on adventure with very memorable characters. Be prepared for a very funny book full of science.
This would make a great read aloud book for primary school.
This would make a great read aloud book for primary school.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews