MG Fantasy review of Polly and Buster: The Search for the Silver Witch (Book 3) by Sally Rippin

Title:  Polly and Buster:  The Search for the Silver Witch (Book 3) by Sally Rippin
Format:  Paperback

Publisher:  First Published in Australia June 1st, 2019  by Hardie Grant Egmont 

Published in the US:  Sept. 2019 by Kane Miller, a division of EDC Publishing 

Number of Pages:  296

Source:  Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Lines:  "Polly Proggett is a witch and her best friend, Buster Grewclaw, is a monster.  But they live in Blackmoon Coven where witches usually don't mix with monsters, and their friendship has led them into all kinds of trouble."

At the end of book two, Polly casts a spell to put the Gorvan, a creature that had been living in the deepest part of a cavern near Blackmoon Coven back to sleep.  It seemed as if monsters and witches were finally going to put their differences aside.  Buster was about to receive a medal for bravery and hopefully, a new sense of peace would be coming to the witches and monsters of Blackmoon Coven.  Instead, a division seemed to be increasingly growing and Polly's dreams for unity between monsters and witches seemed bleak.  Polly's mother and the witches were even adamant that Polly keeps a distance from Buster, something that tore at her heart because she missed her beloved friend terribly.  Unsure of what she could do to mend the differences, Polly asked for help from the three magical stones given to her by her father and received a message to seek the help of a Silver Witch.  Certain it was referring to her Aunt Hilda, Polly asks Buster to come with to search for her.

I've quite enjoyed reading the Polly and Buster series.  Polly is a loyal friend to Buster, she felt he deserved to receive his medal for bravery and was convinced that it would be a stepping stone to mend fences between the two sides.  Buster is a lovely friend to Polly as well, eager to help her on her quest and selflessly throwing himself in harm's way to protect his dear friend.   The Search for the Silver Witch may be geared toward younger children, but it tackles some pretty difficult topics like prejudice, racism, and the importance of friendship, and standing by your friend in a way that younger children can easily understand.  In the story, there is a purple mist and a Gorvan, or creature that feeds off of the witches and monster's anger and hatred toward one another.  To me, it appeared to represent the misunderstandings, biases, and prejudices that have been brewing between the two sides.  Polly recognizes what is happening and understands the importance of getting the two sides to come together in order to conquer the beast once and for all.   There are strong messages about what kind of person you want to be, standing up for the things you believe in and having empathy towards others.  

*Thank you to Kane Miller publishing for the review copy*