About the Holiday

This month-long holiday was established to get families excited about reading. As the weather turns cooler and activities turn indoors, reading together is a wonderful way to spend time having fun and making memories. Small children love being read to—and so do older kids! Sharing board books, picture books, and chapter books with younger kids is always fun, cozy, and cuddly. Taking the journey of a novel together with preteens and teens can provide inspiring, emotional, funny, and bonding moments that last a lifetime. 

BroomMates: A Brewing Boundary Battle

Written by Lynne Marie and Brenda Reeves Sturgis | Illustrated by Nico Ecenarro

Moving into a creaky house behind creaky gates, two “witchy mismatched sisters” found they must share a tiny room and one broom. On the way to the shops to buy décor for their room, both Matilda and Malin want to steer the broom, setting up a “bitter mid-air battle.” Finally arriving at “Dead, Goth, and Beyond,” Matilda chose anything pink, with glitter and rainbows while Malin gravitated to black, skulls, and “dead debris.” For pets, Matilda picked songbirds, and Malin was happy with the crow enticed to tag along on the way home.

Image copyright Nico Ecenarro, 2024; text copyright Lynne Marie and Brenda Reeves Sturgis, 2024. Courtesy of The Little Press.

Back in their room, the sisters bickered about how to decorate, zapping their magic wands to add more and more of their favorite stuff until “finally things got out of hand, / they couldn’t see the floor. / They had to fix the problem, and agree on ONE décor!” With one wave of her magic wand, Matilda turned their room into a pink palace full of unicorns, rainbows, and sparkle. Even Malin sported a big pink bow in her hair.

Not to be outdone, Malin grabbed her wand and the broom and flew around the room turning everything pink to eerie black, green, and gray, decorated with skulls, spiderwebs, and bones. Back and forth the wand battle waged until with a final “KABOOM,” the room lay in tatters, all furnishings had vanished, and their broom was shattered.

Image copyright Nico Ecenarro, 2024; text copyright Lynne Marie and Brenda Reeves Sturgis, 2024. Courtesy of The Little Press.

Matilda and Malin realized they would have to compromise, even if “just a little.” They divided the room down the middle and learned to “blend their styles” equally. They’ve even solved their transportation and single room issues. “…Now they ride a tandem bike and gladly share a room. / They even run a potion stand, called Glitterade & Gloom.”

Following the story, kids can learn how to draw Matilda and Malin through Nico Ecenarro’s step-by-step illustrations.

Image copyright Nico Ecenarro, 2024; text copyright Lynne Marie and Brenda Reeves Sturgis, 2024. Courtesy of The Little Press.

Combining ingredients of charm, humor, and family bonds, Lynne Marie and Brenda Reeves Sturgis have brewed up a perfect antidote to sibling squabbles in their fast-paced story that emphasizes ways to compromise while staying true to yourself. As Matilda and Malin come to a solution, kids see that resolving differences doesn’t have to mean “either/or” but that different personalities can happily coexist side-by-side. Seamless rhyming and rhythm make BroomMates a joy to read aloud, and adults will find a cauldron-full of delights to keep them engaged as well.

Nico Ecenarro’s enchanting illustrations will captivate readers with their vibrant colors, expressive sisters, and sprinklings of popular culture. Kids will love pointing out the differences between Matilda and Malin on each page while noticing how even their pets take sides until the final Kaboom when Matilda’s songbirds come to the aid of the distressed crow with hugs and uplifting help. Both kids and adults will cackle at the visual puns.

A magical take on sibling rivalry that works just as well with spats between friends, BroomMates: A Brewing Boundary Battle may be especially applicable at Halloween, but the book will cast its magic spell on kids at any time of year. BroomMates will be a popular pick for home story times and will enjoy consistent circulation for public and school libraries.

Ages 4 – 8

The Little Press, 2024 | ISBN 978-1956378276

About the Authors

Lynne Marie is an award-winning, multi-published author of several picture books including Moldilocks and the Three Scares, with more forthcoming. She’s the Director of RateYourStory.org and ThePictureBookMechanic.com, an Editor/Columnist at writeforkids.org, and a co-host at #SeasonsOfKidlit. She splits her time between New York and Florida. When she’s not writing slightly spooky stories, she’s celebrating holidays — spooky, silly and sweet over at seasonsofkidlit.com.

Brenda Reeves Sturgis is an award-winning, multi-published author of three picture books including Still a Family, a book that was named a top 100 picture book by the NY Public Library. She has three picture books forthcoming. When Brenda is not busy writing (rhyme makes her heart sing) she enjoys spending time with her family in Maine. You can visit her at brendareevessturgis.com.

About the Illustrator

Nico Ecenarro is an illustrator from Rhode Island. He enjoys drawing stories of adventurous kids being their curious selves, from the quiet or odd moments to the world-saving kind. Nico craves drawing; creating stories and developing characters fuels him. He often illustrates in a limited color palette focusing on the design and gesture of his characters. BroomMates: A Brewing Boundary Battle, is Nico’s picture book debut. You can learn more about Nico at www.nicoecenarro.com.

National Book Month Activity

Magical Potion Test Tubes

It’s the witching hour—the time for making magic potions! These sparkle test tubes give kids a fun way to brew up their own concoctions that can also serve as relaxing mindfulness tools for those hectic days.

Supplies

• Plastic test tubes with tight-fitting screw cap, available at craft or science supply stores 
• Glitter glue
• Hot water
• Fine glitter
• Chunky glitter
• Small glass beads (optional)
• Neon food coloring (optional)
• Test tube stand (optional)
• Whisk
• Mixing bowl
• Teaspoon

Directions

1. Fill a test tube 1/3 full of hot water and pour the water into the mixing bowl
2. Add 1 – 2 teaspoons of glitter glue (the more glitter glue that is added the thicker the liquid will be and the more the objects will be suspended in the liquid. To allow the objects to flow more freely when the test tube is shaken, add less glue
3. Whisk the water and glitter glue together
4. Add chunky glitter, glass beads, or try other small objects
5. Pour into test tube
6. Add more water to within a ½ – 1 inch of the top to allow for shaking
7. Experiment with amount of glitter glue, glitter, and colors

You can purchase BroomMates: A Brewing Boundary Battle at these booksellers

Amazon | Bookshop (to support your local independent bookstore)

Picture Book Review