Polly is not very good at being a witch: she muddles up spells and has trouble reading her potions book, because the letters dance around the page. After a particularly disastrous day at school, Polly knows there is only one person in the entire world who can make her feel better – her best friend Buster. Buster is a monster – and monsters and witches are not supposed to be friends, so they have to keep their friendship a secret and pretend they’re strangers, even if they see each other in the street. Buster is a wonderful monster who feels emotions so strongly they make him grow (when he’s happy) and shrink (when he’s sad).

When Polly and Buster see each other at a museum, Buster can’t help himself and calls out to Polly excitedly. Polly, who’s only just become friends with the most popular girl in the school, Malorie, angrily ignores him – and Buster shrinks into the tiniest, saddest, greyest monster and his monster classmates start cruelly teasing him. As the teasing increases, Polly feels something building up inside her and soon a powerful protective spell erupts from her fingertips. Malorie witnesses it all and spins it into an exciting story about how Polly saved her from being attacked by horrible monsters.

Soon witches everywhere are calling for a solution to the ‘monster problem’. At first Polly enjoys the newfound attention and popularity, but when some witches start a monster hunt and try to hurt Buster, Polly accepts that only she can stop the war of the witches against monsters.

I adored this book. I felt my own heart shrink and swell with Buster’s as I read this wonderful tale of friendship, peer pressure, hope and doing what’s right (even if it feels scary or too big for you). Polly and Buster is the kind of book I want everyone I know to read, adult and child!

Dani Solomon is a children’s and YA specialist at Readings Kids.