Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Reading Time
    • Home
    • Reviews
      • Highly Recommended
      • CBCA Short Listed
      • Early Childhood Books
      • Younger Readers
      • Intermediate Readers
      • Older Readers
      • ANZAC books
      • Great Read Alouds
      • Information Books
      • LGBTQIA+
      • Picture Books
      • Professional Development
    • Interviews
    • Suggestions
    • News
    • Meet The Review Team
    • Contact Us
    Reading Time
    You are at:Home»Reviews»Younger Readers»A Most Magical Girl

    A Most Magical Girl

    0
    By Admin on November 28, 2016 Younger Readers

    most-magical-girl

    Karen Foxlee,  A Most Magical Girl,  Piccadilly Books/Allen & Unwin,  Oct 2016,  304pp.,  $19.99 (hbk),  ISBN: 9781848125742

    Annabelle Grey is a proper young lady leading a very proper life. But Annabelle hides a terrible secret. She sees visions in muddy puddles and dirty laundry basins. And what she sees isn’t pleasant at all. When her mother can no longer deny Annabelle’s magical gift, she sends her to live with her ancient aunts. There, Annabelle learns that she comes from a long line of witches and the life she has lead until then has been a series of lies. Almost immediately, a sinister plan is set in motion to destroy London and Annabelle must find the white wand of good magic and save them all.

    Set in Victorian England, when girls wore petticoats and sipped tea in sitting rooms, this beautifully written story follows Annabelle as she discovers who she is, a most magical girl. Faced with an onslaught of challenges — from temperamental broomsticks to hungry trolls, terrifying shadowlings to angry dragons — Annabelle finds strength in herself and her newfound magic as she races to save London. With the help of her uncooperative companion, Kitty, the unlikely saviours stumble through their trials relying on feeling, heart and magic to bring a stop to the evil Mr. Angel before the full moon rises.

    This book incorporates many traditional story elements — good v. evil, a race against time, the hero’s journey — into an exciting adventure. The suspense builds consistently as Mr. Angel’s Dark-Magic Extracting Machine fills with power and readers slowly learn more of his terrible plans. In a perfectly contrasting detail, each chapter starts with a quote from Miss Finch’s Little Blue Book (circa 1855). For example, ‘When visiting town, a young lady should walk with her carriage erect and her bonnet straight‘. This entry leads a chapter that includes Annabelle racing through the skies on a broomstick with her hair in tatters. The technique cleverly reminds readers of just how far Annabelle has come from her days of garden walks and etiquette lessons.

    The charming heroine and magic world created in A Most Magical Girl are sure to captivate readers aged 9 – 12. While some of the most sinister scenes may prove disturbing to sensitive readers, Karen Foxlee has created a fascinating story that is a perfect introduction to the alluring stories of Old English society.

    Reviewed by Stephanie Ward

    • Read our interview with Karen Foxlee

    buy-from-logo

    Related Posts

    The Ghost Locket

    The Ghost Locket

    Specky Magee

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    • Themes
    • Curriculum
    Action adventure Airplanes Alphabet Anxiety autism Bullying CBCA Awards Coming of age Dystopian emotions family fantasy friendship grief Historical humour magic Mystery Post apocalyptic Readers Cup reluctant readers school Sci-Fi series of books siblings Sport Starting school Teacher Notes
    ANZAC Australian animals Australian history Biography Culture & Diversity Disabilities First Nations Geography health Humanities mental health Poetry Reconciliation resilience Science STEM Stolen Generation sustainability Wordless books



    Recent Comments
    • Cherie on Elephant Island
    • Patricia Tilton on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Jilanne Hoffmann on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Penelope Pratley on The Secret of Sapling Green
    • Emily Flint on Walk of the Whales
    Recent Posts
    • The Bravest Word
    • The Ghost Locket
    • The Ghost Locket
    • Enough Love?
    • Wonderful Shoes
    Recent Comments
    • Cherie on Elephant Island
    • Patricia Tilton on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Jilanne Hoffmann on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Penelope Pratley on The Secret of Sapling Green
    • Emily Flint on Walk of the Whales
    © Copyright 2021 The Children’s Book Council of Australia - All rights reserved

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Posting....