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Middle Grade Sidekick Super Review: The Chronicles of Whetherwhy-The Age of Enchantment (2025) by Anna James
- Oct 2
- 7 min read
Updated: Oct 23
The Basics
Page Length: 283
Audiobook Length: ~8.5 hours
Grade Level: 4+
Goodreads Score: 4.18 out of 5
Buy it HERE
Setting: The magical island of "Whetherwhy"
Genre: Fantasy-Middle Grade
Topics: Magic, Friendship, Belonging, Seasons, Creatures
Plot: Juniper and Rafferty Quinn have just turned thirteen—and in Whetherwhy, that’s the magic age. The island of Whetherwhy is powered by the magical threads of its four seasons. Each citizen is connected to one of those seasons--spring, summer, autumn, or winter. A rare few are bound to all four—these are the Enchanters. When children turn thirteen, they take a test to reveal which season they belong to.
But the results of the twins' test change everything.
For the first time in their lives, Juniper and Rafferty are separated. Juniper is accepted into Thistledown Academy, a prestigious school for magic in the island’s capital, Stormgrove. Rafferty also travels to Stormgrove—but instead of magic, he begins an apprenticeship at a bookbinder’s shop. Their experiences couldn’t be more different. One twin is taught the beauty and promise of magic. The other is shown its dangers and deep inequalities.
As the story unfolds, both Juniper and Rafferty uncover a mysterious world beneath Whetherwhy's surface—filled with secret societies, peculiar night markets, strange creatures, and dangerous magical objects. The way they view themselves, and Whetherwhy changes drastically--and so do their ideas about power and truth. In the story’s most pivotal moment, the twins must choose which version of the truth they believe—and what they’re willing to stand for. It's a magical coming-of-age story about friendship, truth, and what it means to choose your own path.
Themes: Privilege vs. Inequality, Cooperation and Unity, The Power of Storytelling, Belonging vs. Separation, Identity/Self-Discovery, Courage and Moral Choice
You might like this book if you like:
Knitting, crocheting, embroidery, weaving crafts--this book talks a lot about magical "threads."
Magical role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons
Books like: The Strangewells Travel Society, Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow, The Chronicles of Narnia, Inkheart, Harry Potter
Movies like (most of these are also books): The School for Good and Evil, The Princess Bride, The Spiderwick Chronicles
Shows like: Gravity Falls, The Bureau of Magical Things, The Letter for the King
Other books written by this author: Pages & Co. series (six books total), Alice With a Why: Return to Wonderland, Hetty and the Battle of the Books
Teaching The Chronicles of Whetherwhy: An Age of Enchantment As a Full-Class Unit
Content
Language: none
Sex: none
Violence/Scariness: There are moments of intense danger: children are chased or captured by monsters, characters are taken prisoner and have their magic drained, story of a scientist couple who died in a magical experiment gone wrong, and one girl is nearly drowned after being entranced by a magical waterfall.
Drinking/Smoking/Drugs: none
Class Novel-ability: I think this would be a strong choice for a class novel. With both a boy and a girl as main characters and a magical, engaging storyline, it has broad student appeal. The content is age-appropriate, the writing is accessible, and most importantly, it explores timely and meaningful themes that would spark valuable classroom discussion.
The Star Qualities
This story is told mainly through the eyes of twins—a girl and a boy—offering both perspectives as main characters. This dual narrative creates broad appeal and gives lots of students a chance to see themselves reflected in the story.
The book is framed by a grandfather telling the story to his grandchildren. Between chapters, there are short interludes where the grandfather and children share their reactions to the characters and events. It’s very reminiscent of The Princess Bride, with its humorous and charming dialogue between generations.
There are also beautiful illustrations sprinkled throughout the book. At key moments—especially pivotal scenes or unique settings—the author includes full-page artwork that helps bring the story to life. It’s a rich visual element that students will definitely enjoy and appreciate.
A compelling theme of privilege, fairness, and identity runs through the story. Some people in Whetherwhy are born as Enchanters, gifted with all four seasonal magics and granted advantages others don’t receive. As Rafferty wrestles with the reality that his twin sister has received a gift he has not, he faces important questions about power, worth, and belonging. The story resolves with a powerful message: true change requires cooperation between those with power and those without. It’s a lesson today’s students deeply need.
And good news—this book will be part of a series. The second book is on its way! Introducing students to a series builds excitement and anticipation in the classroom, especially when they get to wait together for the next release. While they wait, students can dive into Anna James’s other middle grade fantasy series, Pages & Co., which is already complete and widely loved.
Book Talk Read Aloud Section
If you have the physical book, read the prologue (pages 1-2).
"Reading Like a Writer" Mentor Texts
I think this would be a wonderful passage to use when teaching creative narrative writing. It’s the very first paragraph of the book, and it sets up the story beautifully. The opening has a classic fairy tale feel, with a whimsical storytelling tone and an ambiguous timeline. I especially love the repetition and rhythm of the “some say this, some say that” structure—it makes the passage feel like a tale that’s been passed down through generations. It also begins to build the world by introducing the mysterious island. Overall, it’s a strong and engaging example of how to start a narrative. I think students will really enjoy it, and it would be both fun and valuable for them to analyze and imitate.
This passage includes even more narrative writing techniques. It makes strong use of internal dialogue (shown in italics) to reveal the narrator's identity and inner conflict. The author contrasts her emotions add depth to her character. There's repetition of the phrase “It means…” which emphasizes the significance of the change she’s facing. There’s also effective use of stylistic punctuation, like em dashes and commas, which help capture the rhythm of her thoughts. The author's use of questions highlights the narrator’s apprehension and hesitation. Lots of moves to analyze and try!
I really like this passage for its tone. In this moment, the character is submerged in a magical waterfall—one whose potent power she’s been warned about. The narrator’s description is hypnotic and mesmerizing, which creates a haunting, ominous feeling for the reader. The use of repetition, paragraph breaks, ellipses, and carefully chosen diction all contribute to the slow, dreamlike quality of the scene. It has a powerful emotional impact. This is a great example to show students how tone can shape a reader’s experience and play a vital role in narrative writing.
The Chronicles of Whetherwhy The Age of Enchantment, p. 142
Sentences for Combining and Imitation
Sentence sets for combining:
"Their grandfather smiles and leans down to pick up an old leather-bound book that creaks open just as an old book ought to." (The Chronicles of Whetherwhy The Age of Enchantment p. 2)
Their grandfather smiles.
He leans down.
He picks up a book.
The book is leather-bound.
The book creaks open.
It creaks like an old book ought to.
"Juniper Quinn was curled up by the fire, reading a book, and her twin brother, Rafferty, was entirely focused on making a tiny origami bird, when a very cross man, accompanied by an equally grumpy-looking dog, appeared at the door of their family bookbindery." (p. 3)
Juniper Quinn was curled up by the fire.
She was reading a book.
Her twin brother, Rafferty, was focused on making something.
He was making a tiny origami bird.
Suddenly, a man and his dog appeared at the door of their family book bindery.
The man was cross.
The dog was grumpy looking.
"Juniper stood up, feeling self-conscious as she followed the headteacher to a quieter corner as the rest of the class started to experiment with their seeds." (p. 98)
Juniper stood up.
She felt self conscious.
She followed the headteacher to the corner.
The corner was quieter.
The rest of the classes started to experiment with their seeds.
"Colored lanterns of green and yellow lit the streets and there was the sound of an accordion coming from somewhere nearby." (p. 119)
Colored lanterns lit the streets.
The lanterns were green and yellow.
There was the sound of an accordion coming from somewhere.
It was coming from nearby.
"Feeling betrayed, annoyed, and cold, he made an impulsive decision and marched round to the front of Aufero, unlocked the main door, and walked straight in." (p. 190)
He was feeling betrayed.
He was feeling annoyed.
He was cold.
He made an impulsive decision.
He marched around to the front of Aufero.
He unlocked the main door.
He walked straight in.
Sentences for Imitation:
"The only sounds now were the gentle buzz of the bees and the babbling of the stream, the music and laughter of the festival left back down the hill." (p. 45)
The sensory details in this passage are beautifully done! And the imagery mirrors the slow, gentle flow of the sentence, enhanced by the use of commas. Both techniques are worth imitating.
"Hi," Rafferty said a little awkwardly. He had expected Juniper to be so different, but she was just the same. Juniper ran to him and gave him a huge hug. She had expected him to be just the same, but he seemed so different." (p. 222)
I love how the author uses parallelism and irony in this moment. He feels one way, while she feels the opposite—and, ironically, neither of their expectations turns out to be true. This clever sentence structure highlights the disconnect between them and emphasizes how much they’ve misunderstood each other.
The monster turned its terrible head and let out a chilling, ragged bellow. Oleander took his moment and darted round the Knot to the queen, pulling her out of the corner and behind the enchanters. She clung on to his arm, crying (beautifully) and quivering in fear." (p. 254)
I really love the highlighted sentence. The word in parentheses is funny and subtly sarcastic—it’s such a simple yet clever way to convey tone. I’d love to see what students could come up with by imitating this technique. Just one word can add so much voice and personality to their writing.
Used this book in your classroom? Tell us how in the comments!
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