Sugar and Spite

"Sugar and Spite" tells the story of Jolina, a young girl who is relentlessly bullied by Claudine. Desperate for relief, Jolina, still in training with her arbularyo grandfather, uses a forbidden love potion, gayuma, to turn her tormentor into a devoted friend. While the immediate bullying stops, the story quickly delves into the ethical implications and consequences of manipulating another person's feelings. The magic demands payment, manifesting as a powerful storm, forcing Jolina to confront her actions and learn about true friendship, empathy, and integrity. This chapter book is suitable for independent readers aged 8-11 and can be a compelling read-aloud for slightly younger children, sparking important discussions about bullying, revenge, and making amends.

"Jolina can't take Claudine's bullying any longer! The taunts and teasing are too much. Though Jolina knows she's still in-training to use her grandfather's arbularyo magic, she sneaks into his potions lab to get her revenge. Jolina brews a batch of gayuma, a powerful love potion. And it works. The love potion conquers Claudine's hateful nature. In fact, Claudine doesn't just stop bullying Jolina - now she wants to be Jolina's BFF, and does everything and anything Jolina asks. But magic comes with a cost, and bad intentions beget bad returns. Controlling another person's ability to love - or hate - will certainly have consequences. The magic demands payment, and it is about to come for Jolina in the form of a powerful storm ..."--Jacket flap.