Can a clan of rowdy fairies and the most powerful witch on Earth save Tiffany Aching from the Hiver?

Ever feel like you don’t fit in? Maybe your clothes are not quite the latest fashion or you can’t do things that come easily to others. Tiffany Aching, young witch-in-training becomes frustrated with her inability to perform basic magic. To make matters worse, she is publicly humiliated in front of the other young apprentices due to her lack of fashion sense, association with an unpopular witch and outlandish stories -- which happen to be true. At her most vulnerable moment, her body is invaded by a hiver – an indestructible monster that slowly kills its host. Good thing she is always followed by the Nac Mac Feegle, a clan of six-inch blue fairies that are different from the average fairy. How’s that, you ask? These men are known for their drunkenness, rowdiness, swearing, fighting and stealing. Their leader Rob Anybody and his clan follow the “wee hag” (their term on endearment) to protect her from harm. But will the Nac Mac Feegle and the most powerful witch on Earth be able to kill the hiver without destroying Tiffany? Will Tiffany solve the puzzle of the hiver before it causes her to go insane? More importantly, will Tiffany ever figure out that all the other witches wear black, not green!

Though written as a fantasy novel, this book explores self-identify, discovering that we are the culmination of our ancestors and our environment. Many insecure tweens will identify with Tiffany’s lack of magic ability and fashion sense. The heroine of this title is appealing to girls; the rowdy, swearing, always-ready-for-a-rumble Nac Mac Feegle are likely to appeal to boys. The voice of the Rob Anybody and his brothers, written in brogue, may be difficult for some readers to comprehend. However, this humorous fable is worth the effort. Grades 5-8.

Pratchett, Terry. (2004). A Hat Full of Sky. New York: HarperCollins.
ISBN: 0060586605

Cover art link from ALISCat - a catalog of public libraries in Nassau County, NY.