Magic by the Lake - Edward Eager
After the half magic was over, they wondered if they'd ever have any magic adventures again, and in the book about it it says it was a long time before they knew the answer. And here it was only three weeks later, and already Katharine was ready for more. But if you think three weeks isn't a long time for four children to be without magic, I can only say that it seemed a long time to them.
Magic by the Lake is the sequel to Half Magic, which Ridley and I both enjoyed. She wasn't really getting into this one, though, so I ended up reading it to Robyn as a bedtime story. In this book, Jane, Mark, Katharine, and Martha go on a vacation by a lake, and encounter a magic turtle who makes their summer a good deal more exciting.
This time, having experienced the half-magic of the previous book, they're aware that magic has rules, and they work to abide by the rules. However, they still often make the mistake of absent-mindedly saying "I wish ..." and winding up in unexpected situations.
What I really love about Eager's books is that there's a timeless quality to them. This one was written in the 1950s, and is supposed to take place decades before that, but most of the book holds up pretty well. There's a scene with a dance that is a bit outdated and a scene with cannibals on an island that's a bit awkward now, but mermaids and pirates and buried treasure are good adventures in any era.
I've already found another Edward Eager book on BookMooch and I'm looking forward to reading it, too.
Fed to jonathan's brain | November 07, 2009
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