The Three Rules of Everyday Magic

The Three Rules of Everyday Magic
by Amanda Rawson Hill
192 pages; ages 8-12
Boyds Mills Press, 2018

There's something about that moment right before the first star appears in the sky.

You know - that quiet time, when the whole world seems to be holding its breath and waiting. It's an almost magical time, except that Kate doesn't believe in magic. She does have some big wishes, though. Dad is gone and Kate misses him. Her guitar is collecting dust because she won't sing without him.

Then Grammy comes to live with them. She needs a bit of watching, because she's gone wandering. That's one big change in her life. Then her karate friend and neighbor, Parker, will be joining her class at school. He's been homeschooling till now. And one more big change: best friend Sofia is in a community theater production and seems to have found a new BFF!

When Grammy tells her the three rules of everyday magic, Kate can't resist believing. At least a little bit. So she tries to follow Grammy's rules (believe, give, trust) to bring her dad back to her. Things don't go as expected, because if the did we wouldn't have a story, right?

But will Grammy's magic and the karate wisdom from her Sensei help bring her dad back or heal the hole left by her best friend?

What I like about this book: the writing is so honest. Kate isn't perfect. She lies. She gets angry. She's just a kid. And while I don't really believe in magic, I really really want to believe that Grammy's simple rules of everyday magic can work for all of us. Because we could all use a bit more giving and trust in our lives, right?

I also like the language. Take this bit: "It smells like cows. Like grass and rain and mud all pressed together in a heap." I may not live where Kate lives, but I can identify with that fresh mowed-grass-before-the-rain smell.

Thanks for dropping by today. On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle , so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copy provided by the publisher.

23 Minutes

23 Minutes
by Vivian Vande Velde
176 pages; ages 12 - 16
Boyds Mills, 2016

Fifteen-year-old Zoe has a secret power: she can travel back in time to relive events she wants to change. There are only a couple caveats: she can only travel back in time 23 minutes, and whenever she changes things it never ends well. Plus people think she's crazy.

So when she steps into a bank to get out of the rain - and finds herself in the middle of a robbery gone wrong - Zoe tries to help. By going back in time.

There are two things that I really like about this book: the consistency of this magical power; and that small changes have unexpected results. While Zoe has this talent/superpower, she's not sure what all the rules are. So when someone dies in the bank robbery, she thinks that maybe she can go back in time to save a life. On round two, she calls the police - only this time it ends up worse.

She tries again. And again. And each time some little thing results in a horrible ending. And then there's that third caveat: she has a limited number of attempts to try to get things right.

What I like about Zoe is her grit. She could give up - this is too much for a 15-year-old kid. Especially one as messed up as she is. She might be unlucky, but she's no coward.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Inquisitor's Apprentice

The Inquisitor's Apprentice

By Chris Moriarty; illustrations by Mark Edward Geyer

356 pages, Ages 9 and up

Harcourt Children's Books, 2011

What’s a nice Jewish boy doing in a kid’s novel about magic, Wall Street wizards and robber barons? Chris Moriarty, who’s written a couple award-winning science fiction books for adults, wanted to write a story with a Jewish hero. This is the first of a new fantasy series set in an alternate-universe turn-of-the-century New York City.

In the early 1900’s New York was home to a diversity of immigrant neighborhoods.  Moriarty connects to that history, weaving together the growing union movement, the traditions and magic of many races, religions and cultures, and the disparities of the gilded age to create a new and vibrant whole.

Sacha, who’s managed to get through his bar mitzvah without showing an ounce of magical talent, suddenly finds himself apprenticed to the NYPD Inquisitors. Their mission is to stamp out the illegal use of magic – and it turns out that Sacha can see magic. After a harrowing test – “a five-hour multiple-choice ordeal held in an unheated basement” – Sacha is teamed up with

Lily Astral, daughter of one of the city’s richest Wall Street Wizards.

Their first case is to find out who is trying to kill Thomas Edison. Edison, it turns out, has invented a mechanical witch detector, giving every magic user in the city a motive for murder. But the clues lead Sacha back to the Lower East Side and his family’s neighborhood. This is not good for a kid whose family is involved in uniting the Industrial Witches of the World (aka the “Wobblies”).

A delicious read for kids who like a dash of authentic history with their fantasy. This review is part of Marvelous Middle Grade Monday. Review copy provided by publisher.