Back blurb of No More Magic by Avi*: There's no such thing as magic ... is there? When Chris's bike mysteriously disappears on Halloween night, he's sure that magic is to blame. But his science-whiz bother insists that there's a rational explanation for everything. And his dad is always saying "Get the questions right before you get the answers wrong." There's just one problem: The facts don't make sense. All the evidence points to a shadowy figure who Chris is convinced is a warlock. Only his new friend, Muffin, agrees. Everyone else says there's no such thing as magic. Maybe not. But maybe ...
My take
... but maybe you should go read this book and maybe, just maybe, you will drop the adult tendency to dismiss magic ... and just believe. I love this book because it is so unpredictable! And I actually feel like I am 11 years old again - probably Chris's age - reliving and experiencing the worries and insecurities of a child. It incorporates kid's interest in comic book heroes, good looking bikes, of children's rationality and logic, and the importance of fitting in.But there is never a time that the author has treated these worries condescendingly, giving Chris a voice that is clear and true.
I truly enjoyed this book! After having read this, I looked up Avi, and realized the following:
- This is a debut novel.
- From this novel, Avi (yes, that's his name) later went on to write other great books and became a Newbery Honor Author.
- Avi suffered from dysgraphia, a learning disability that makes writing difficult because it causes letter reversals and misspelled words.
“In a school environment,” Avi recalls, “I was perceived as being sloppy and erratic, and not paying attention.” Still, in the face of unending criticism, Avi persevered. “I became immune to it,” Avi says. “I liked what I wrote.This is a very special book, highly enjoyable, great for reading together with your child.
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