Mock Newbery 2026 discussion
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A Snicker of Magic
Book of the Month - 2015
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March Read - A Snicker of Magic
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Kristen
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Mar 01, 2014 07:16PM
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I hope I can get it this month from my library. I see the release date is 2/25. Our local bookshop can only order it in hardcover (the paperback must be a bookfair exclusive). This happened once or twice last year with the monthly read, too. Is there any way to put a little distance between the release date and the book of the month? I do realize we would probably be in the same predicament with any book so early in the year, but perhaps it is something to consider moving forward?
I just finished A Snicker of Magic. It's in the Scholastic book fair in paperback, which I thought was weird, since they never offered it as a hardback, but ok. It's a great story and I loved the emphasis on vocabulary and word choice as well as the whole piece about bravery, kindness to others, and finding your own voice. I can never guess what they're thinking about Newberys so I don't know about that, but I really liked it.
I adore A Snicker of Magic. I loved the characters and the great word choice in the book. I don't know if it will win the Newbery. But I thought it was magical!
Debbie wrote: "I just finished A Snicker of Magic. It's in the Scholastic book fair in paperback, which I thought was weird, since they never offered it as a hardback, but ok. It's a great story and I loved the..."The Scholastic Book Fairs usually issue their books in paperback (it is cheaper for the kids to buy). The bookstores only have it in hardcover.
Dave - When I haven't been able to access a book at the time, I read it later and then go back and read the posts and respond to them. Since this is a Newbery club for 2015, the majority will be obviously hardback releases. Often, the Kindle version is $7+ cheaper than they print copy. You do not have to have a Kindle to read it. There is a Kindle reading app for IOS and Android or you can read it on your computer. Also, several schools have online purchasing sites before/after their book fair, and they will ship items to the school free of charge. You could call elementary schools near you and see if they will permit you to order one and then pick it up. These sales add to their book fair totals so I do not see why this would be a problem. Here is the website that will help you find a location near you:http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bookf...
I might be in the minority here, but I don't think it's a contender for the Newbery. I could see it maybe getting an honor, and I wouldn't be displeased, it's a really good book, but it's not even the most distinguished book of the first two months of 2015. The plot is very slow, and not a whole lot happens. The Ghosts of Tupelo landing offers that same small town feel with a better story all around. Better writing, better plot, round and dynamic characters, I think Natalie Lloyd is a good writer, and shows great potential, but I don't think she'll win the Newbery with this one.
I just finished the book A Snicker of Magic. What I liked about this book was it had a very Mayberry RFD feel to it. The author did a good job of the making me feel like I would want to visit this place. The beginning of the book was great and the ending was great also, but the middle was rather slow. While reading the big chunk of the middle part of the book, I didn't want to abandon the book, but I also didn't have that "I can't wait to pick up this book and get to reading it again" feeling.
I adored this book. The setting, characters, and beautiful word choices were so fresh. Reminded me of A Tangle of Knots with the magical realism and quirky characters.
Jenna wrote: "I adored this book. The setting, characters, and beautiful word choices were so fresh. Reminded me of A Tangle of Knots with the magical realism and quirky characters."I thought the same thing Jenna but I liked this better than A Tangle of Knots.
I thought it was a sweet book and a great debut, but I don't see it as a Newbery contender. The book was a bit slow and the plot a little thin. Still a fun read.
I got a paperback from Scholastic book orders. It is available there for anyone with a Book Club account. I loved this book and see it as a contender because of the story, writing, characters. It's received several starred reviews so I definitely think lots of people see it as worthy. It is so early to predict but this one will definitely stay on my list of hopefuls I think!
I just finished the March selection and thoroughly enjoyed it. I found it to be just the right mix of reality and fantasty. The variety of characters was wonderful and they were well developed. I think students will be able to identify with Felicity's shyness and wonder at the magic of the town. I'm not sure Snicker quite measures up to the Newbery standards but it will probably will be a well enjoyed book for a long time.
Picked this up at the school Book Fair last month, and started it yesterday, finished it this evening. I enjoyed the book, the many different characters, the magic throughout, and especially the love for words and capturing them and their meaning. It would be a great book to discuss in a classroom setting. There are also many topics here for discussion with children about feelings and consequences. At times I found it a bit repetitive, but overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing more from this author.
I began this book as a read aloud to my daughter, but ended up reading ahead, mostly to make sure nothing too unpleasant happens when Felicity finally eats the blackberry ice cream. Both my daughter and I had trouble getting into this book in the beginning. I think this was mostly due to so many two dimensional characters. The story becomes a little more meaningful as it progresses, but there are too many story lines that need to be tied up, and no one gets the time they deserve. I'd be surprised to see this as a real contender.
A SNICKER OF MAGIC is the best MG novel I've read in a long time. I loved it. I kept having to stop reading in order to copy down some of Natalie Lloyd's magic lines.
Loved this book, although it was a little repetative. Not sure it's a Newbery contender though.
I loved Snicker of Magic for its word choice, which would be great to use with students when looking for juicy words. But, for me I was not compelled to keep reading it. It may sound crazy to some, but I read many other books during the month that I flew threw (Shadow, Ice Dogs, Port Chicago 50). I enjoyed the story and I know my students will for sure check it out, but I don't think this is the one for 2015.
I'm disappointed. Loved the start of the book, with anxious Felicity and the aura of words providing her with a special insight into the feelings of her family and friends.But then it became the all-too-familiar pile-on of underbaked characters, many of them adult, with concerns of little interest to middle graders, the apparent audience for the book. Narrative momentum was lost (which was why it took me forever to finish the book).
Not a contender for 2015, in my opinion.
(Also, this is the first middle grade book that I've read in decades in which so much attention is paid to the smoking habit of a major adult character. I found that odd.)
Mary wrote: "I'm disappointed. Loved the start of the book, with anxious Felicity and the aura of words which provided her with a special insight into the feelings of her family and friends.But then it became..."
Yes - the smoking! I am reading it a second time, this time aloud to my daughter, and even she commented on it. I've been looking for the literary significance to it, but can't see it. Never having lived in the South, perhaps it is really that prevalent, and is helping to provide the realism?
I grew up in NC where everybody or so it seemed, grew tobacco, thus lot of people smoked. That has changed due to the known the hazards and stigma of tobacco products. Interestingly, vineyards seem to be replacing tobacco. I'm just starting the book. I had a hard time getting hold of a copy that I didn't have to pay for.
I must start by saying I didn't finish the book. But that's just it - I didn't finish the book. For me, it was a put-downer, not a page-turner. And like C.S. Lewis once said, "A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest."
I have to say that I am having a time getting through this one, too. I am hoping that it will grab me at some point, but I don't think I have the patience!
145 pages in I had to give it up. I couldn't get a story out of it.
Well, tonight I will read the last chapter aloud to my daughter. What a slog it has been! The observation I made my first time through on my own about too many characters in the end that you didn't know very well (or care about all that much) has detracted from the story. My daughter is 10 and has been read to every night of her life. She can follow along with older stories like The Secret Garden or E. Nesbit fare, but she could not track everyone in Snicker (and that was with me trying to do different voices to give a little more personality).I wonder if this story had been marketed to adults and had taken the time to flesh out the characters more would've made it more magical for me. I certainly like the concept and the vocabulary, and there are some nice moments in the writing, but it just loses steam.
I really enjoyed this one, although it did take a while for me to get in to it. Felicity's gift for seeing words was a really fun element. Her relationship with Jonah, and her longing for a permanent home were well developed. I'd recommend it.
I agree! So far, I think "Snicker of Magic" is a contender. I loved that she saw words but was so insecure that she couldn't get them out and it took an all seeing friend to help.
Wondering if anyone in this group has read Bird by Crystal Chan. I've done a lot of reading this week, mostly fair to good, but this one just blew me away. Here's a link to my review. Hope we can consider it as a group. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I did read Snicker of Magic this week, too. I know there's been mixed reviews. I enjoyed it. Characters were very likable, loved the bits of magic that the book had, without getting too carried away, thought the idea of the Jalapeno Pickle and the Beedle were wonderful.
Bird is an incredible book! I fell in love with all of the characters! My fifth grade students are also really enjoying it! It is my favorite so far this year!
I really enjoyed A Snicker of Magic. I loved the character of Felicity and her wish to stay in one place. I loved how she collects words, and I loved how she took everyone's stories and figured them out, put them together, and solved the riddle.There has been much talk about how nothing happens in this book. I agree that if people are looking for a lot of action this might not be the book for them. But, if a person loves stories and puzzles and quirky characters, that person will love this book!
A Snicker of Magic is written in such soothing, rich language. I see it as a story of hope coming from a main character who needs so much of it. It is reminiscent to me (as others have pointed out) of CENTER OF EVERYTHING, TANGLE OF KNOTS, and even HOUND DOG TRUE. I would love to have this as the book for a discussion group and see it from different perspectives.
I didn't love this one either, for many of the same reasons listed above, particularly the slow moving middle section. There were some truly delightful moments, but unfortunately I was half asleep for some of them. :/
I finally finished this one. I've been reading it off and on since February. It never really held my interest, but I wanted so badly to like it because it is a "word" book. It seemed odd to me throughout the book, and I'm afraid it had to do with the way the author communicated "seeing" the words. I get the idea, and think it is fun. I loved the way Flea collected the words, but the words themselves often didn't make sense. There were also too many invented words like "spindiddly" and "factofabulous." I enjoy invented language but this was too much or too forced. The story didn't flow steadily for me. It is not on my list as a contender. I'm waiting to see how students respond to it. I own two copies in my library.
I was very excited to read this, but disappointed once I got going. Too many characters, too many threads, and too many juicy words being thrown around with hardly any context (which struck me as a lazy way of incorporating creative vocabulary). I haven't finished it yet, but I don't see this as a 2015 Newbery contender. I feel like its aim was to be sweet but it came out cloying. And in terms of charming Southern narrators, Felicity Pickle has nothing on Mo LoBeau of GHOSTS OF TUPELO LANDING.
I really enjoyed A Snicker of Magic! I loved the language--some great wordplay going on in this one--, and I really liked the characters. The friendship between Felicity and Jonah was really special. I also love the way this book encourages respect and tolerance for people with different gifts and talents, different challenges, and different personality quirks. I think it helps that Midnight Gulch could easily be a town close to the area where I grew up... the references made to other locations and the mountains definitely made me relate to this fictional town in Tennessee. It isn't a thriller or a fast-paced book, and I know it wouldn't be for all the kids in my class, but there are certainly some who would gobble it up like some of Dr. Zook's ice cream! Those wanting a heartwarming story of friendship, overcoming odds, finding family, and "home" can find a rich story in this one. I'm not sure how it will fare in the Newbery "race" against some of the other books out there (I have only read this one, and Nightingale's Nest out of the monthly books so far), but I did find it to be an enjoyable read.
I enjoyed A Snicker of Magic. I agree with a few earlier posts that the beginning and ending were very strong but the middle was slow.
I really enjoyed Hope is a Ferris Wheel although it made me feel sad for star and her family. i don't see a Newbery mention but i think middle school girls will Ike it a lot.
I really want to love this book, but it is falling short of what I expected. It is cute, sweet and quirky; yet it feels like a lot of other stories. It seems to be a worthy story, told with strong writing, but in the end, it is not special or distinguished. I'm not sure if I'll even finish it at this point...I keep getting distracted with other stories.
I just finished The. Night Gardener. Newbery? Yes. I think middle schoolers will get on the list to read this one.
I think the Night Gardener should be on the list of potential winners! Loved the quirky characters
I'm just under halfway through and I have to admit I'm not particularly enchanted. For Southern small-town quirkiness I'd rather haveTupelo Landing; I also prefer Moses as a plucky girl heroine. The motif of "words have power" doesn't particularly resonate with me--I am reading a book, after all, so there's nothing novel about it. Felicity's quirk of seeing words is interesting, but overall the magical realism of the story just falls flat which is disappointing given that Felicity's entire character seems to be hinged on her special-snowflake-ness. Perhaps there will be a payoff in the end, but I'm honestly not expecting it.
Morgan wrote: "I really want to love this book, but it is falling short of what I expected. It is cute, sweet and quirky; yet it feels like a lot of other stories. It seems to be a worthy story, told with stron..."Agreed! Can't top Nightingale's Nest for me. Also loved The Secret Hum of a Daisy.
I had a very difficult time finishing Snicker of Magic. I started it several times because I felt I had missed something important. The beginning was strong. I could feel the main characters desire to remain in one place and her fear that her mother would leave. The middle of the book lost the Magic for me. There were too many stories to follow and that made me put the book down and not want to pick it up again. I was disappointed with the book and do not think it will win the Newbery.
Donna, I agree. There were so many moving parts in this book, the ending felt like a rush of contrivances to tie up all these loose ends: Florentine and "the Witch," the Ramblin' Rose coming out of left field with the magical guitar. We hear several times throughout the story that curses can only hurt you if you believe in them, but the curse still needs to be broken in the end?
And in my opinion, for a town that has supposedly lost it's magic, there sure was a lot of magic flying around Midnight Gulch. I could buy the Blackberry Sunrise memory ice cream. I could buy the Beedle running around doing good works, but the magic bird tattoo that was only relevant for one chapter was a bit of a stretch. Florentine's stolen burdens that keep her safe--that metaphor felt more like a blast than a snicker.
Our library finally got this book in! Here is my review:This was a spindiddly, splendiferous book! I loved the characters, the setting, and the plot. I loved the magic talents that the various characters had. There were lots of stories within this story and some minor mysteries that were solved. The many odd flavors of ice cream were very creative. Felicity was a sympathetic and believable character, as were her family members and her friend Jonah.
I went back and read the comments above mine. I did not feel that the book's momentum flagged in the middle; the story kept me engaged from beginning to end. However, I do have to admit, I did like the Ghosts of Tupelo Landing better.
I finally read Snicker of Magic. Not my favorite, although cute. I really do love Paper Cowboy better - completely different, of course, being historical fiction.
Read and enjoyed Snicker of Magic but at times felt the author included everything she learned in a writing class in one book. Did like all the words but did not always see the connections. Did like the characters and looking forward to more books by this author.
A Snicker of Magic has been my favorite book the group has read so far. The characters are so rich and the city of Midnight Gulch, Tennessee is almost like a character in itself. I did agree that the plot lagged a little in middle and the build up to the magic was a little slow, but I loved the best friends' relationship, the mother, Aunt Cleo (even if her smoking scenes were way too frequent and glamorous), and Uncle Boone. I liked the curse to wander, and the journey to finding comfort in your own home town. I loved the language and the collecting of words as a talent. There were so many lovely things in this book, that felt well-crafted, not just tacked on or stuffed in. All in all, this was a wonderful, beautiful, book with just enough magic in its realism to qualify as a snicker.
I read this one a few weeks ago, and it left a pleasant feeling but nothing outstanding. Obviously, my taste is different from some others who loved the book. It's so interesting how we each read and appreciate different aspects of a story. I can't imagine being on the Newbery committee and voting for the "best"!Returning to "Snicker" -- Having a main character use a wheelchair was a nice touch, but I wonder if authors aren't jumping onto the "diversity" bandwagon without the extensive background and research necessary to do it well. (That may just be an adult perspective.) And in general, there seem to be too many middle-grade books with an over abundance of characters that don't offer a whole lot to the story. I've heard a well known editor say, "Less is more," and I think this adage should be considered more frequently by authors.
Just my two cents . . .
