Unicorn Academy 12 – Isla and Buttercup

Julie Sykes' Isla and Buttercup is a sparkly Unicorn Academy story for 7 year olds about a girl who worries far too much about looking silly.

What happens

Isla is shy. She won't help paint the big mural in case she spoils it. When someone calls her idea clever, she goes bright red. Her unicorn, Buttercup, is the exact opposite. She's small, bouncy and completely sure she can do anything!

Then Buttercup finds her magic, and it's finding magic. She stamps her hoof, calls out what she's looking for and an arrow of sparkles zooms off to point the way. Brilliant! Except it doesn't always get it right. Ask it for Matilda's blue pen and it finds a very cross blue hen (there's a willow-tree mix-up too).

These bits are genuinely funny, and Buttercup laughs louder than anyone. Isla cringes for her. Who hasn't had a friend who makes you blush on their behalf?

Meanwhile there's a real mystery. Ms Willow, the old school nurse, has been stealing magic from all over the island and has vanished without a trace. The graduation ball is only days away. And Isla's prickly dormmate Valentina keeps getting secret letters with her name on the front and no address.

Isla has to decide whether to say what she suspects. What if she's wrong and everyone laughs? That's the heart of the book, and Buttercup's answer is lovely. It's better to try something and get it wrong than never to try at all.

If you've got a reader who hangs back in case they make a mistake, they'll probably see a lot of themselves in Isla. And if they're more of a Buttercup, they'll love her cheek.

This one comes a little way into the series, so some earlier adventures get a quick mention. It's still easy to follow.

What to read next

If they fall for the school and its unicorns, try Layla and Dancer. Layla is scared of galloping and jumping and her unicorn loves nothing more, so they've got some big differences to sort out too.