Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 03/01/2025 *Starred Review* Inheriting a cursed, naughty table, a young witch tries to find a way to live with the table peacefully. For generations, the witch's family has attempted to dispose of the table, but no matter what they try, the table always returns to them. The table has literal legs with knobby knees, warts, and exaggerated big feet, which it uses to create mischief for the witches by stepping on toes, kicking people in the backside, and buckling to spill things. Initially, the witch, takes hilarious precautions, such as tying a pillow to her backside to guard against the table’s antics. But as time goes on, she begins to think about the table’s feelings, putting a rug under the table when the floor is cold, inviting it to sit on the couch and put its feet up in the evenings, and getting an enchanted lamp that the table can befriend. The more the witch accommodates the table and treats it with kindness, the more peaceful it becomes. The multimedia cartoon illustrations add curious details that readers will find amusing, and the quirky vignettes successfully deliver the story’s gentle lesson in empathy and care. A clever take on magical thinking perfect for the SEL shelves. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.