One Jar of Magic

With taut underlying tension and a sympathetically flawed protagonist, Haydu's (Ever Cursed) middle grade novel literalizes magic's effects on a family and community. Rose Alice Anders has looked forward to this upcoming New Year's Eve, her 12th birthday, for as long as she can remember. In Belling Bright, the anniversary means she's old enough to join her family at TooBlue Lake, catching magic on New Year's Day. To Rose's father, the town's most celebrated magic-catcher, it means that she--his "Little Luck"--will finally follow in his footsteps. But despite encouragement from her less magically inclined brother, who takes after their mother, Rose catches only one jar of magic--angering their volatile father, leading her to question her destiny, and resulting in social fallout. Using insightful flashbacks to reveal Rose's conflicted feelings about her dad and her desire to fulfill his dream, Haydu deftly, and with startling clarity, portrays the presence and devastating effect of abuse on a family. The sweet protectiveness of older brother Lyle, Rose's gradual awareness and acceptance of herself, and the hope that families and people can heal offer further thoughtfully rendered touches. Ages 8-12. Agent: Victoria Marini, Irene Goodman Literary. (Feb.)

Gr 4-7--Expectation runs high for 12-year-old Rose Anders, whose father, Wendell, is the most successful magic-catcher in Belling Bright. His jars of trapped magic fill every closet. Rose, described as having blue eyes and brown curly hair, awaits her first magic-catching day with rising dread. Her friends Maddy, with blonde braids, and Ginger, whose appearance is not described, seem to be tiring of Rose's incessant proclamations of her heir apparent status, while at home her father's dodgy advice becomes overbearing, even as her brother Lyle and passive mother try to still its contentious waves. Magic-catching day does not go as planned for Rose, and she suffers an embarrassing letdown. Meeting a family who is "Not Meant for Magic" and dealing with her father's ominous mood swings, Rose confronts the effect magic has on her family and community. Haydu's work of magical realism evokes fraught emotions boiling just below the surface of Rose's "perfect" life. Her first-person narration begins with a confident arrogance that slowly dissipates along with her father's public geniality. The quirky joys a jar of magic can provide, like pink hair, rainbows, and bad weather, delicately balance against Rose's descent from popularity into a near pariah. Rose's visceral pain and her hard-earned agency will be deeply felt. While age appropriate, the story does contain possible triggers for domestic abuse survivors. VERDICT Readers who enjoy everyday magic, friendship stories, and family drama will be enchanted by this magic jar of a book.--Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Lib. Assoc., CT