Ivy Newt and the Time Thief

Ivy Newt #2

by Derek Keilty

Every Halloween, a spooky haunted house appears near Newt Castle for one day only.


Being forbidden to explore the house just makes Ivy and her familiar, Tom, more determined to get to the bottom of the mystery! After crash landing on the roof, they stumble upon a friendly witch, who has been imprisoned for years by a curse, and they vow to help her escape. But they must succeed before the house disappears at the last stroke of midnight that very evening! In a frantic race against time, and with help from friends and family, can they break the spell?


Accompanied by quirky and cute illustrations on every page, this story will get any child hooked on reading!

Genres: Childrens

176 pages, Hardcover

Published August 5, 2025

About the author

Will Gallows and the Snake-Bellied Troll is Derek's debut novel for children although, previously, he has published several educational books. He began writing in 2000 as a new millennium resolution and hasn't looked back. Currently, he has a thriving schools program, storytelling and taking creative writing workshops around local schools. He lives in Northern Ireland with his wife, Elaine, who is Canadian, and has twin daughters, Sarah-Jane and Rebekah.

Reviews

[Mark Buxton · Rating 3 out of 5]

What worked:
The witchcraft in this book is stereotypical without any spooky evilness. Ivy is a kind-hearted character who is still learning to become a Sand Witch. Witches are often accompanied by familiars, and Ivy’s familiar is a grey wolf named Tom Wolf. However, Tom is transformed into a boy for most of the book. Ivy flies a broomstick and performs spells she’s learned in witch school. The sorcerer in the story casts an awful spell, trapping another witch inside a haunted house for ten years. The author resolves the plot peacefully, leaving everyone living happily ever after.
The vocabulary and sentence structure are appropriate for emerging or reluctant young readers. Black-and-white illustrations add rough images of the characters with additional details in the setting and help make the narrative approachable. Ivy shares a lesson in kindness by helping someone in need. The resolution also shows the importance of clear communication and the danger of drawing assumptions about others.
What didn’t work as well:
The plot probably isn’t for most middle-grade readers. Its simplicity and innocence are a stark contrast to most of the other literature written for this age group. However, it’s perfect for those middle-grade readers still learning to master the skills needed to attempt more developed and thought-provoking texts.
The final verdict:
This book is for emerging or younger middle-grade readers. The story makes references to the first book, but this one can still be read independently. Overall, this book is wonderful for its target audience.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Halloween holiday has finally arrived, and Ivy Newt cannot wait to celebrate. Instead of helping her father decorate the castle, however, Ivy and her familiar Tom decide to investigate the mysterious, nearby castle that appears only on Halloween day. Despite receiving the warning that the castle is haunted, Ivy and Tom bravely decide to face the unknown in order to solve the mystery. What they discover is not what they expect, though, and rather than spending the holiday celebrating, they find themselves helping an unlikely friend, instead. This second in the Ivy Newt series appears much like the first novel, presented with ample white space and frequent black and white illustrations. Though the premise of the story incorporates potentially spooky elements, this brief novel has a levity that is well suited to young readers. The chapters themselves span several pages, but the narrative overall is straightforward and easy to follow, amplifying the sense of success newly confident readers experience by the end. While this is the second in its series, it is not necessary to have familiarity with the first novel, though having read the first story does help readers connect more deeply with Ivy’s world. Amusing character names and familiar vocabulary are woven into the narrative, dramatically enhancing the readability of the book. Fun and engaging, this is an enjoyable addition to Halloween collections for elementary school-aged readers who are becoming increasingly comfortable with chapter books.

[Katelyn Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

- I received this book from NetGalley -

This was a really fun book to read during Halloween!

I read this aloud to my kids and I found that there were a lot of tongue twisters, alliterations, and complex words. I also found that with additional words in certain sentences it disrupted the flow, it would have gotten the same point across if removed. However, maybe if a child was reading this it would be beneficial as it would introduce them to a more descriptive sentence.

My children really did like the task that the main characters had to solve. It wasn't overly scary or impossible to complete, but it did excite them enough that we had to finish it all in one night so they knew what would happen. I think this is a series that they would very much like to continue, so we are looking forward to the other ones.

[Maggie Timlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is going to a be a perfect bedtime read in the run up to Halloween.
Ivy is a sand witch and she lives with her parents who are a king and queen. Once a year, on Halloween, a haunted house appears across the bay and then disappears again before midnight. Ivy and her familiar Tom go to investigate and they find a problem that they can help with.
This was a lovely story. When Ivy and Tom get stuck and ask for help. I loved characters who swooped in to save Ivy and Tom when they need the most help.
This is a perfect read for younger children and would be a good book for children who are fans of Halloween and are moving on to chapter books.

Thank you to the publisher for a review copy of this book.

[Книжни Криле · Rating 5 out of 5]

Кой да ни зарадва с нови вещерски патила, ако не специалистите в тази сфера – издателство "Асеневци". След като ни запалиха по темата с поредиците си "Дневникът на вещицата по неволя", "Малварина" и "Разреши мистерията", от издателството не ни оставят да скучаем и изпълват лятната ваканция с още повече фантазия и вълшебства, този път дело на Дерек Кейлти и Магда Брол. Яхвайте метлите и се присъединете към малката пясъчна вещица Айви Нют, която е винаги на страната на доброто! Прочетете ревюто на „Книжни Криле“: https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/202...

[Chloe Booth-Dobson · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Another wonderful addition to this spooky series! This book holds another mystery for Ivy and Tom to solve and lot of adventure. This is certainly the kind of book that kids love and parents will too. There’s a lot of great messages mixed in but with a fun and engaging storyline and characters you can’t help but keep reading! I think I preferred this to book 1 in the series and I definitely see a lot of potential for a great set of stories to come! It’s definitely the perfect Halloween time read too so I’d urge anyone with younger readers to give it a go this spooky season!

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[Jessica Brownlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the vocabulary was really high quality with great alliteration, similes and descriptions too. It is easy to see how this book can hook young readers while stretching their vocabulary immensely. The characters were loveable, especially the witches’ and wizards’ familiars. The plot moved at a good pace with adequate twists and turns- keeping it exciting whilst still catering for younger readers or readers with a reduced reading stamina. I am looking forward to recommending this book to young readers.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun second story in this new , magical MG series for younger readers. A time pinched puzzle to solve, new friends to make and a supportive witchy family all add up to an amusing, suspenseful read.