Magical Mischief

by Anna Dale

Overview

What if magic took over everything in its path? This is the fate of the old Hardbattle Bookshop. Magic has settled in every corner and brought chaos to Mr. Hardbattle's life, driving away all of his customers. Then one day, just when Mr. Hardbattle's had enough, a young boy named Arthur stumbles in. And soon Mr. Hardbattle, Arthur, and the lovable Miss Quint are banding together to reclaim the shop. A new home for magic must be found . . .

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781599907758
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	07/19/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
Lexile:	970L (what's this?)
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	8 Years

About the Author

ANNA DALE lives in England, where she onced worked as a bookseller. Publishers Weekly named her a "flying start" author for her debut, Whispering to Witches.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 4–6—A dusty little bookshop run by aged Mr. Hardbattle is in danger of closing because most of the customers have been run off by a mischievous and smelly magic that has settled in every corner of Hardbattle Books. Then quirky Miss Quint and a boy named Arthur team up with the owner to try to save the shop before it's too late. While Mr. Hardbattle tries to find a new home for the magic, things back at the shop go haywire when Miss Quint wishes book characters to life. One of them, a girl named Susan, helps Miss Quint and Arthur as they battle against the characters run amok in the bookstore and the town. The characters are well developed and likable, and the story leaves some loose ends for possible sequels. A sweet blend of magic, with a taste of mystery, this spellbinding tale flows smoothly and will keep fantasy lovers hooked.—Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

School Library Journal

What happens when magic goes berserk?

In the case of Mr. Hardbattle's old and dusty bookshop, where magic has taken up residence, its behavior is erratic, ranging from mischievous to uncontrollable. Staples play a skipping game, books read themselves and thumbtacks attack bare feet. That's tame, though, compared to inanimate objects' coming to life, the second-to-last step's turning to custard and, worst of all, The Smell (individually offensive to each person who comes into the shop). When Mr. Hardbattle ventures forth to find a new home for the magic, Miss Quint and schoolboy Arthur take over the shop and discover they can bring book characters to life. Bedlam ensues when a motley collection of fictional creations overruns the bookshop, and three miscreants engineer a series of burglaries. How to foil uppity Mrs. Voysey-Brown, Jimmy the bellhop and Mr. Claggitt, a mountaineer? A plot to catch them in the act works and everyone and everything returns to (almost) normal. In the thick of the twists, the magic itself becomes a character, directing and redirecting the action, which is most of the fun here. Though the novelis set in the quaint (fictional) English town of Plumford and oozes English coziness from every pore, it has, alas, been Americanized—a shame.

Blimey, no Harry Potter competition here, just a light encounter with British humor no amount of American vocabulary can disguise. (Magical adventure. 8-11)

Kirkus Reviews