If you're after something more fantastical then the final instalment of The Yesterday Crumb series is out now. This has been a firm favourite over the last two years because Andy Sagar takes a wild and ruthless adventure, mixes it with tea and cake (and the wonderful Miss. Dumpling) and makes it feel completely cosy...

Yesterday Crumb and her friends are on an overwhelming mission - they need to find a way to defeat her father, Mr. Weep, before he storms the world of the living with his army. But as they search for allies, a mysterious flower seems to be turning people against them and freezing their hearts. Yesterday must find the courage to face a terrifying fight...but does the answer lie in a pot of tea?

Never mind the fact that Yesterday battles with the ruler of The Land of the Dead or visits giants or is faced with her worst nightmares, this story will warm you from the inside out. We couldn't get enough of the tea magic and wanted Yesterday to make a new brew on every page. The characters are wonderful - Madrigal has become a particular favourite and it was great to see Miss. Dumpling back in the fray, but Pascal stole our hearts - and it was refreshing to see Yesterday explore her flaws as well as heandr strengths.

The series finishes with some unexpected twists and turns, taking us to new places in the world. There's certainly never a dull moment, the pace is swift and the imagination is joyful. Watch out for the meeting of the tea shops - it's brilliantly visual and beautifully created. We only wish we could visit them.

Andy Sagar has brewed up another fantastical tale about Yesterday Crumb and the travelling teashop at Dwimmerly End. Full of action and fabulous creatures, Essie’s skills are really put to the test as she battles against her father, Mr Weep, the King of the Underworld. All the characters are so well crafted and their interactions so powerful, I really couldn’t stop reading! In the last of the three books, we get a satisfying ending, but to say more would be unfair. Read this with a cup of tea and biscuits to hand, as it will make you very hungry. Everybody needs a tea witch in their life!

A final feast of intrigue, magic and tea as our heroine takes on her father, Mr Weep the Lord of the Dead, and her mother, the Unseelie Queen. An enjoyable romp with strong character development, magical battles galore and, of course, plenty of tempting tea concoctions! A satisfying conclusion to an engaging series

From the very first page, it was wonderful to be reunited with all the familiar characters from the previous stories. The action is fast paced and throughout I was rooting for Yesterday's plans to come to fruition despite the hurdles facing her. I love the Secret Society of Tea Witches and their mission to encourage the drinking of tea and eating of cake. I would absolutely want to be a member of this. I'm looking forward to sharing this series with the children in my class as I am certain they will enjoy it as much as I did.

Tea is very often seen as a universal panacea to cure all ills and certainly during last week’s encounter with Covid, although I didn’t eat very much, I did drink even more tea than normal and I’m sure I’m not alone in this. Proof if proof were needed that the beverage does actually have medicinal properties was provided to me recently while listening to an episode of Dr Michael Moseley’s Just One Thing series on Radio 4, where he suggests simple things to improve your health and wellbeing with well-researched scientific evidence, so the idea behind this wonderful middle grade trilogy is an utterly brilliant one.

That idea of practising witchcraft through the brewing of magical teas is one that I have loved through the first two titles and when this, the conclusion, appeared on Net Galley, how could I resist requesting it? As I’ve followed Essie (Yesterday) as she first found a home at Dwimmerly End as apprentice to qualified witch Miss Dumpling, then made lifelong friends and terrible enemies, the idea that all problems can be resolved with a brew is one that is so very appealing and one that has been used to great effect.

After the stunning conclusion to Book 2, we rejoin Essie and best friend confectionary witch Jack as he tests his latest product on himself. When it produces the desired effect, Essie’s initial joy at his success is soon replaced by her familiar worries about her wicked father Mr Weep’s unknown reasons for restoring Jack’s life to him – something that she is sure will have consequences for them both. These thoughts are soon dispelled though by the arrival of a not-badger who has an important message for Essie from her absent mother, cryptically telling Essie where she can be found.

Unable to understand the message, Jack suggests to Essie that they visit Mr Percurial the faerie Postmaster General whose service has delivered the letter and the pair of them head out to seek his advice. Reaching his office, it is clear that something is wrong with the Postmaster – something that has been triggered by the appearance of a strange blue flower. When Essie destroys the bloom, Mr Percurial is restored to his normal self and over a restoring cup of tea is able to help Essie with the information she seeks.

After visiting her mother, Essie is more determined than ever to finally put a stop to her father’s evil intentions and decides to call upon her fellow tea witches to help her. But as she tries to put her plans into place, Mr Weep always seems to be one step ahead of her and more of her potential allies fall victim to the powers of the malevolent flowers. Can Essie work out how to defeat both the plants and Mr Weep to prevent him from carrying out his nefarious plans once and for all? And at what cost will victory over the ruler of The Land of the Dead come?

Essie has grown so much since we first met her in the circus where she had been abandoned by her mother. After her initial attempts at magic, which were not always successful, she has grown not only in confidence brewing other witches’ teas but now – more importantly – in creating her own enabling her to use her powers to their full potential. As she has responded to the faith that Miss Dumpling has always had in her, she now also realises that there is so much more to her position than simply creating tea and supplying cakes to those in need and will not allow her rallying calls to those whose help she needs to overthrow Mr Weep to fall on deaf ears.

Although – obviously – not all of the story is sweetness and light, there is a really cosy feel to the whole trilogy and the messages of the importance of friendship family and self-belief shine from the pages of this last book. In the inhabitants of Dwimmerly End, Essie has found those she counts as her family, showing young readers that biological connections are less important than the power of love when finding your tribe.

This is a brilliant conclusion to the series – obviously I’m not going to spoil the ending but I think those who have followed Essie’s journey from the beginning will be satisfied with how the writer has wrapped everything up. While there is enough backstory included to pick this up as a standalone, it will be more enjoyable if read after Book 2 and I would strongly suggest that you do that. Ideal for confident readers in Year 5 upwards, I cannot wait to see what author Andy Sagar creates for us next.

As always, my enormous thanks go to Net Galley and to publisher Hachette Children’s Group for my advance, virtual read. Yesterday Crumb and the Tea Witch’s Secret publishes 15th February.