"A Hat Full of Sky" by Terry Pratchett - Book Review

Tiffany Aching is a witch. At least, she is a junior witch and she is off to learn from the experts. Born and raised on the Chalk, she has inherited her significant powers from her grandmother. It's a nerve-wracking time for little Tiffany because she is going out into the big world, away from the gently rolling hills that are her home.Soon she is on her way to Miss Level, a complex lady who will be teaching her all about the witching. But there is something after Tiffany, drawn to her, and it's gaining ground. It's scared, needy and dangerous...And she is stuck in a strange world, where some of the other junior witches make fun of her. Experiencing peer pressure, jealousy and ridicule, and learning that witching is not all that glamorous but rather a lot of hard work, looking after people who really should be looking after themselves, Tiffany finds herself alone and unhappy. She starts questioning herself. She starts questioning that she ever had any power and does the one trick she is sure she knows how to do... Whilst lurking, close, there's the something, yearning to take over her body.Will Tiffany be able to fight something that has lasted since the dawn of time? Something not even skilled wizards have managed to evade? Luckily, she is not as alone as she thinks. She has the Wee Free Men, who will fight anything. And she has the aid of Granny Weatherwax, the most notorious and respected witch on Discworld."A Hat Full of Sky" is the second book in the Tiffany Aching series. It is the follow-up to "The Wee Free Men". I loved the first book, but I think that this addition shines even more.Although Discworld novels never try to teach moral lessons to their readers, "A Hat Full of Sky" does offer the message that when you are true to yourself, accept yourself and believe in yourself, you can do anything. This can be a hard lesson to learn, as it is for Tiffany, but it is something important that people discover through trial and error.Terry Pratchett is a wonderful author, who can blend humour and sadness with excellent and creative skill. I had many a smile and giggle reading this book, but when I closed it the overall impression I had was that this is a truly beautiful read.The story is gripping, imaginative and it held my full attention all the way through. I know that I will take it from my shelf again and again in the future. It's a book I will happily read more than once.Though it is the second Tiffany Aching book, new readers will find themselves easily at home. However, the first in the series is certainly worth a read as well. And at the time of this review there is a third installment available, titled "Wintersmith".I recommend "A Hat Full of Sky" to readers of all ages.According to the author's bio, Terry Pratchett lives behind a keyboard in Wiltshire and says he 'doesn't want to get a life, because it feels as though he's trying to lead three already'. He was appointed OBE in 1998 and his first Discworld novel for children, "The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents", was awarded the 2001 Carnegie Medal."A Hat Full of Sky" was first published in Great Britain by Doubleday, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, with ISBN 0-552-55144-9. seuss book collection sets cat hat