The memory of Half Magic, by Edward Eager, has half-lingered in my mind for several years. I remembered liking the book when I was younger, maybe 8 or 9, but couldn’t recall half-a-thing about it. Then, over February break, when we went on vacation with my cousins, I brought the book along, in hopes of reading it to my nine-year-old cousin, Matty. Although I didn’t finish reading the book to Matty, I finished by myself, and found it just as charming as I did 4 or 5 years ago. Half Magic is the tale of four siblings, Jane, Mark, Katharine, and Martha, who are having the most boring summer of their lives. “The children never went to the country or a lake in the summer,” the author explains on page two, with their mother working all day at the newspaper (they don’t have a father) and leaving them watched over by their dreadfully strict nanny, Miss Bick. Then Jane finds a coin on the sidewalk, a coin that, as they discover, grants wishes. But it only half-grants them. For example, when Martha wishes the siblings’ cat, Carrie, could talk, Carrie begins spouting gibberish. Or, when Mark wishes his friends were home for the summer, the friends are transported to a location which is half-way home. Even to my thirteen-year-old self, both of these instances were greatly amusing. And so the story goes on, with the siblings having all sorts of adventures, ending up in the Sahara, in Camelot, and having plenty of excursions in their own town of Toledo, Ohio. Half Magic was written in 1954, and so it follows an older, more traditional approach. The siblings are four Caucasian kids in the summer, and the book does not really focus on social justice issues or any topic similar to that. There are no serious, underlying themes, no heavy aspect to it. Half Magic really is a tale, a light story designed to entertain, with positive messages and a happy ending. It is perfect for a lazy summer day with no excitement, much like the day that the story begins on, for while reading Half Magic, you are with Jane, Mark, Katharine, and Martha on their adventures and you feel the magic that flows through them flowing through you as well. It is a book with a cheery soul and a light in its eye, and will get you laughing as the siblings try to phrase their wishes properly. What is twice of not here? What is twice of half a talking cat, in the case of the magicked Carrie? Now, obviously, I have never had an experience with magic, but Half Magic describes the daydreaming we all do when we are bored, when we imagine knights jousting in our yard, or sorcerers throwing spells from their hands. Half Magic brings these dreams to life in a joyous, light-hearted tale, and the story doesn’t really end, either. In fact, the last chapter is called, “How It Began Again.” I’ll leave it up to you to figure out what that means. Remember this, though. Anything can happen on a dull summer day. For all you know, magic is just around the corner, waiting for you to find it. Half Magic by Edward Eager. Houghton Mifflin Harcout Books, 1954. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
Book Reviews
Moon over Manifest, Reviewed by Daniel Zhu, 10
Although we prefer to get to know people face-to-face, it is possible for someone you have only heard stories of to have the same amount of meaning to you. This is demonstrated in the book Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool, in the relationship between the main character, Abilene Tucker, and various townspeople. They are Pastor Shady Howard, the gypsy Ms. Sadie, and, while only a memory of the past, the most important person of all: the childhood embodiment of her father, Jinx (whose given name is Gideon Tucker). Each of these relationships is special and meaningful in its own way, and contributes a large part to the overall frame of the story. After Gideon’s sudden departure to a railroad job in Iowa, Abilene is sent to stay with Pastor Shady Howard in Manifest Kansas, where her father once stayed when he was an orphan. Although the pastor’s name strikes Abilene as ominous at first, she quickly finds that Shady is actually very nice. He does his best to provide for Abilene, and introduces her to the local townspeople. However, Abilene doesn’t find out much of an impact Shady really had on this small town’s development until she befriends the diviner Ms. Sadie. Ms. Sadie is a long-time resident of Manifest, and whenever Abilene goes to her divining parlor, Ms. Sadie “divines” a story about Manifest to Abilene. The main character in every one of these stories is Jinx. You might be interested in how Abilene got involved with a diviner: Gideon had entrusted Abilene with a memento of his–the compass of his deceased friend Ned Gillen–but Abilene lost it and later found it on a tree in Ms. Sadie’s backyard. However, it was too high to reach, so she stepped on a porcelain pot and almost got it, but not quite. But things got worse when she was stepping down; the pot suddenly cracked under her feet. Ms. Sadie happened to notice and forced Abilene to do yard work for her, in addition to collecting strange herbs. However, Ms. Sadie would repay Abilene’s hard work by telling her stories, sometimes voluntarily, sometimes because Abilene would coax her to. These stories left Abilene surprised and shocked at the end of every single turn. Who would have thought Ned and Jinx would set off firecrackers during Woodrow Wilson’s trip to Manifest? Who would have thought Mrs. Larkin and Jinx would be able to devise a plan to humiliate the cruel coal mine owners Devlin and Burton? Yet, crazy as they were, through all of Jinx’s mischievous plots, Shady was there for him. Knowing that Shady had looked after her very own father when he was a child quickly made Shady one of Abilene’s most trusted friends. However, Abilene is undoubtedly most connected to her father, Gideon Tucker. And although Abilene is very close to him, I think what is interesting is that knowing about his childhood life as Jinx brought Abilene even closer to him. After hearing about all of Jinx’s crazy but magical plots alongside his friend, Ned, Abilene was opened to a whole new section of her father’s life. And while this may seem obvious, getting the whole picture of someone often allows you to get closer to them. Aren’t there so many stories where someone forgot his past, and desperately tries to find a way to get his memories back? And after the memories are retrieved, isn’t there always a sense of completion? Abilene is in the same situation here. Previously, Abilene felt uncomfortable knowing that Gideon hadn’t told her that much about his childhood and often pondered what it was like. This triggered many disturbing thoughts in Abilene’s head, such as, Did something happen with my father when he was young? Is that why he is leaving me for his railroad job? or What impact did my father have on Manifest? Why is there no trace of him here? During her time in Manifest, Abilene spent most of her time trying to answer these questions. And when they were finally answered, Abilene suddenly felt that she knew her father so much better, and that she had finally found the missing puzzle pieces to her image of her father. And she felt that her life’s yearning was fulfilled. Many of us worry about the future–about tests, homework, classes–a little too much, and don’t really focus on the past. As Abilene showed us, there is valuable information stored in our past, and if we just spend a little time uncovering these secrets, our lives will seem a lot more meaningful and complete. The prominent religious leader Thomas S. Monson once said, “The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.” Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool. Delacorte Press, 1995. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
Other Words for Home, Reviewed by Sascha, 14
The novel Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga documents the life of Jude, a Syrian refugee that moves to Cincinnati, Ohio at the start of the Syrian War, leaving all that she knows behind. As Jude slowly adjusts to her new home, her surroundings and American culture as a whole, become more familiar. Upon moving, she deeply misses her family and friends in her war-torn coastal hometown in Syria. Jude meets many new people and learns many profound lessons through her experience moving to America as a Muslim refugee. I feel that this novel gives readers a clear depiction of an immigrant or refugee experience moving to America. Within the book, Jude faces discrimination because of her religion, struggles learning English and ultimately feels out of place. Since this book is written in first person, readers are able to learn, on a personal level, about the experience of one of millions that have gone through something similar to Jude. It was interesting for me to learn about life in Syria before the war broke out and also how it deeply affected the lives of the people living there. I also enjoyed that the book was written in a free-verse poetry style, similar to Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. The rich figurative language and detailed description within Warga’s writing helps readers to truly know how Jude felt throughout every given moment in the novel. The following quote demonstrates this: “Sometimes it feels like when I boarded that plane to fly to America I left my heart behind, beating and lonely on the other side of the ocean,” (78). Other Words for Home is a story of immigration and assimilating into a society so much different than what one is used to. Jude learns to adjust to her new surroundings, while still honoring the life (including tradition, religion and family) she left behind in Syria. At certain points, Jude feels like an outsider, like she doesn’t belong. This novel can teach readers that one can always get through a hard time, no matter the circumstances and know that it will get better. Jude exemplifies bravery and courage as she endures many difficult moments in her life in America. She experiences highs and lows, but ultimately comes out of every situation a changed and wiser person. Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga. Balzer + Bray, 2019. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process! Have you read this book? Or do you plan on reading it? Let us know in the comments below!
