Abigail's review
Half Magic
by Edward Eager, N. M. Bodecker (Illustrator)
Abigail's review
Half Magic by Edward Eager, N. M. Bodecker (Illustrator)
Abigail's review
rating:
bookshelves:
childrens-fantasy,
childrens-fiction
recommended for: E. Nesbit Readers
Four siblings, Jane, Mark, Katherine, and Martha, find their dull summer vacation transformed by the magical, wish-giving coin that Jane finds one day. After a number of experiments in which the children discover that the coin only half-grants the wishes asked of it, they set out to have some adventures, asking for twice as much of everything they desire. Hilarious misadventures ensue when the children travel back to the time of King Arthur, when baby Martha half disappears, and when Jane wishes she belonged to another family...
The author freely acknowledges his indebtedness to E. Nesbit, going so far as to have the children read her book, and wonder why nothing like the events in The Enchanted Castle ever happen to them. But while Eager’s light-hearted tone and quirky depiction of magic do seem remarkably similar to Nesbit’s, he has unfortunately also reproduced some of her less desirable prejudices, particularly in regards to gender roles between siblings (hardly surp...more
The author freely acknowledges his indebtedness to E. Nesbit, going so far as to have the children read her book, and wonder why nothing like the events in The Enchanted Castle ever happen to them. But while Eager’s light-hearted tone and quirky depiction of magic do seem remarkably similar to Nesbit’s, he has unfortunately also reproduced some of her less desirable prejudices, particularly in regards to gender roles between siblings (hardly surp...more
