The Power of Five: W.i.t.c.h. #1    adapted by Elizabeth Lenhard Order:  USA  Can Volo, 2004 (2004) Paperback Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Hilary Williamson This is the first in a new series about five young female superheroes, whose initials combine as 'W.i.t.c.h.' - Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia and Hay Lin. The text is book-ended by vibrant color comics that kickstart the imagination. It's a story within a graphic novel (I liked the comic section so much that I would have liked the entire story to be in graphic format). There's a trading card included at the back of the book. The initial comic tells us that the universe is at risk and five human girls will defend it - 'Nature will be their friend, the Earth their mother, and the elements their allies.' Then we see Will travelling with her mother to a new life in Heatherfield. Lurking in the background are cloaked bad guys, plotting her destruction. After that, the story builds up slowly as we're introduced to the five girls, and their puzzlement about the side effects of growing powers. Newcomers Will and Taranee join an existing coterie involving Irma, Cornelia, Hay Lin and Elyon. There's a Halloween party, in which Will is attacked by 'toxic psychic waves' and a 'big blue thug', and Irma is almost torched by a scary pumpkin. The new 'Guardians' are presented with the 'Heart of Candracar', and their powers are explained to them. There's a betrayal, which exposes the friends to their first major encounter with evil. The tale ends 'To be continued ...' I liked the fact that the superheroes are young women for a change, and enjoyed the combination of text and comic formats. I recommend the series as superfun for the (female) middle school crowd. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews