Meredith, the wacky-witch heroine of Meredith, the Witch Who Wasn't, returns in this, her second adventure, originally published in German as Zauberspuk bei Merrilu. Preparing her breakfast one morning, Meredith inadvertently sings the spell for uninvited guests, and finds herself confronting a gluttonous little sorcerer who demands more and more food. When Meredith finally gets fed up with her visitor, a spell-war ensues, and the two magical practitioners go head to head...

Although I didn't find Meredith's Mixed-Up Magic quite as entertaining as the first Meredith title, it was still an engagingly "witchy" picture-book. Christa Unzner's colorful illustrations were delightful, her puppet-like sorcerer both diminutive (at first) and menacing, her scenes energetic and full of fun. I continued to find Meredith's blue cat (with white spots) adorable, and wish she had been given more of a role - or even a name! Still, overall this was a book I'd be happy to recommend to young readers who enjoy stories of witches, or are looking for gentler Halloween fare. ( )