Polly Diamond and the Magic Book (Polly Diamond Series #1)

by Alice Kuipers, Diana Toledano (Illustrator)

Overview

Polly loves words. And she loves writing stories. So when a magic book appears on her doorstep that can make everything she writes happen in real life, Polly is certain all of her dreams are about to come true. But she soon learns that what you write and what you mean are not always the same thing! Funny and touching, this new chapter book series will entertain readers and inspire budding writers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452152721
Publisher:	Chronicle Books LLC
Publication date:	05/01/2018
Series:	Polly Diamond Series , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
File size:	9 MB
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Alice Kuipers is the author of 4 novels and a picture book. Her work has been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and selected as a Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year. She lives in Saskatoon, Canada.
Diana Toledano divides her time between working as a freelance illustrator and teaching in museums. She lives in San Francisco.

Editorial Reviews

04/02/2018
This breezy series kickoff from Kuipers (Violet and Victor Write the Most Fabulous Fairy Tale) introduces a heroine with a delightfully outsize personality and celebrates the power of imagination and words. An inveterate list lover and aspiring author, Polly Diamond makes an ambitious to-do list at the start of what she senses will be a “Super-Fantastic Day,” but she gets sidetracked when a mysterious package appears on her doorstep. It contains a blank book that responds to Polly’s written comments and requests—literally. After she wishes that her bedroom was painted aquarium blue, fish appear swimming along glistening walls; Polly disappears from sight after writing that she likes how playing hide-and-seek makes her feel invisible; and her yearning for a “perfectly palatial” house produces a mansion complete with a waterslide and a crown-shaped bed. The book’s magical power has some cornier repercussions, too: in an incident that would make Amelia Bedelia nod knowingly, instead of a club sandwich, Polly is served a wooden club between two slices of bread. As the narrator’s interior monologue moves at a whirlwind pace, Toledano’s spry cartoons amplify the story’s exuberance, conveying Polly’s imaginary and real lives with humor and affection. Ages 6–9. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"A fast-paced story full of magic."—School Library Journal

"A fast-paced story full of magic."—School Library Journal

"This breezy series kickoff introduces a heroine with a delightfully outsize personality and celebrates the power of imagination and words." -Publishers Weekly

"This breezy series kickoff introduces a heroine with a delightfully outsize personality and celebrates the power of imagination and words." -Publishers Weekly

"An enchanting adventure of magic and mishaps." -Kirkus Reviews

"An enchanting adventure of magic and mishaps." -Kirkus Reviews

"There's a lot to love about Polly's adventure... a fun read that's just right for young readers." —Common Sense Media

"There's a lot to love about Polly's adventure... a fun read that's just right for young readers." —Common Sense Media

"Upbeat and lovable, Polly Diamond brings the magic of imagination to life." -Booklist, starred review

"Upbeat and lovable, Polly Diamond brings the magic of imagination to life." -Booklist, starred review

From the Publisher

02/01/2018
Gr 1–3—Polly Diamond has a great sense of adventure and an imaginative spirit: think Gooney Bird and Judy Moody rolled into one. Polly is about to get a new sibling. On the day her mother goes into labor, Polly receives a blank journal with amazing powers. Not only can the book write back to Polly, but it has the power to make her written hopes come true. The magical book turns her bedroom walls into an aquarium, makes her invisible, and transforms her little sister into a banana. All is not fun and magical games, however. Polly needs to resolve the problems that arise from too much magic. When the magical journal takes a very literal turn, Polly finds herself in a predicament that requires a good deal of careful writing to resolve. The energy of the writing keeps the pages turning, though the sophistication of some elements of the story may keep the audience rather limited or require an adult to read aloud and explain. Polly, as depicted on the cover and in interior illustrations, is brown-skinned, though her race and ethnicity are not mentioned in the text. Illustrations on nearly every page add visual appeal and will motivate new readers. VERDICT A fast-paced story full of magic. An additional selection for larger collections.—John Scott, Friends School of Baltimore

School Library Journal

2018-03-18
A magic spelling book turns a young girl's world upside down as her family prepares for the arrival of a new baby brother.Polly Diamond is an aspiring writer and loves words—all kinds of words! But she especially loves the words in a new spelling book left mysteriously on her doorstep, because when she writes in the book, the book writes back. After writing a few lists and stories in the book, Polly soon realizes that the book's magic also has the power to make her words come true. She wants to show her amazing new book to her family, but Mom and Dad are busy with work and preparing the house for the new baby, including moving Polly's 3-year-old sister into Polly's room. When Polly tries to use the spelling book to improve things (turning her house into an enormous mansion and turning her sister into a banana), she soon discovers that the words she loves don't always mean what she wants them to. Kuipers spins an enchanting adventure of magic and mishaps as Polly tries to master the art of wishes and to balance her talent for stories with her need to be literal. Toledano's spot illustrations provide visual depth and a dynamic dimension of representation to Polly's multiracial family (Dad is white and Mom is a woman of color) and world.A great choice for logophiles and budding authors. (Fantasy. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews