• Age: 7 to 10
• Grade: 2 to 5

A spooky adventure for girls --- book four of A Sam & Friends Mystery graphic novel series.

When three odd sisters with a collection of scraggly animals move into the house across the street, Sam and her friends grow suspicious. Then Sam thinks she's been hexed --- these new neighbors must be witches! The friends search the sisters' house for a spell book to help Sam when the homeowners return unexpectedly. Will they boil the intruders in a witches' potion? Young graphic novel readers will furiously turn pages to find a surprising solution to this mystery.

Mary Labatt is an editor and writer. She is the author of the Dog Detective Sam mystery series, the Sam and Friends graphic mystery novels, the Puppy Sam level one early readers and a novel called A Puppy is for Loving. With all these dog books you can guess what Mary does on her Clear Creek, Ontario farm. She breeds and raises Rough Collies and Welsh Springer Spaniels. In the picture you can see Mary with two of her collie mothers, Annabel and Chloe.

Mary Labatt's profile page

Jo Rioux was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario. An artist from an early age, she was eventually drawn to children’s books, illustrating Swordquest for HarperCollins and the graphic novel series A Sam and Friends Mystery for Kids Can Press. Her love for the comic medium spurred her to author her first graphic novel series, Cat’s Cradle. She lives in the lush suburbs of her hometown, where, when not working at her drawing desk, she can be found nestled within a pile of books.

Jo Rioux's profile page

• Winner, Best Books for Kids & Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre

This graphic novel adapts Labatt's novel Strange Neighbors (2000) and provides just enough spookiness and mystery for readers venturing into chapter books.

Booklist

Witches’ Brew (A Sam & Friends Mystery)