One Jar of Magic

by Corey Ann Haydu (Author)

One Jar of Magic
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

From the critically acclaimed author of Eventown comes a hopeful and empowering tale set in an enchanting world of magic and mysterious family secrets--perfect for fans of Anne Ursu, Rebecca Stead, and Wendy Mass. Magic is like a dream. Delightful. Terrifying. Unreal. Rose Alice Anders is Little Luck. Lucky to be born into the Anders family. Lucky to be just as special and magical as the most revered man in town--her father.

The whole town has been waiting for Rose to turn twelve, when she can join them in their annual capturing of magic on New Year's Day and become the person she was born to be. But when that special day finally comes, Rose barely captures one tiny jar of magic. Now Rose's dad won't talk to her anymore and her friendships have gotten all twisted and wrong. So when Rose hears whispers that there are people who aren't meant for magic at all, she begins to wonder if that's who she belongs with.

Maybe if she's away from all the magic, away from her dad telling her who she's meant to be, who she has to be, Rose can begin to piece together what's truly real in a world full of magic.

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Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

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.)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Starred Review

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

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"An emotionally complex and wonderfully told story."—School Library Journal (starred review)
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780062689856
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Katherine Tegen Books
Publication date
February 20, 2021
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV013000 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | General
JUV039010 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Physical & Emotional Abuse
JUV039240 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Depression & Mental Illness
Library of Congress categories
Identity
Identity (Psychology)
Magic
Families
Family life
Fathers and daughters
Interpersonal relations
Fantasy
Family secrets
Interpersonal relations in adolescence
Horn Book Magazine

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