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The Amulet Series #2
Magic by Moonlight
With a magical amulet in hand, three friends are whisked back in time to the Salem witch hunts, a terrible time in our history. When Tituba, the Parris' slave, secretly teaches the children a lot more than housekeeping, like voodoo, fortunes, and spell casting, it leads to utter chaos in the village. Ultimately, Emily, Megan, and Ben uncover a hidden secret which may alter the course of history. Can they get the villagers to see what's really causing the fits and tantrums before they get accused of being witches themselves? Follow the friends on a fantastic adventure as they uncover a mystery when they travel back in time.
152 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 27, 2011
What I Can Tell You: (enter the book giveaway on Maria's Space www.reesspace.blogspot.com
Emily and Megan are back and this time they use the magical amulet to visit Salem during the witch hunts in 1692 when a bunch of "afflicted" girl's accused people of "bewitching," Emily and Megan with the help of their friend Ben enter 1692 to find out more before they take on the roles of the "afflicted" for a school play. They tell everyone they are distant cousins of Abigail and eventually stay with her and her family. Through their explorations of the area and the people, they find something they believe may be causing the fits of the "afflicted". Will their discovery change the course of history? Should they change the course of history? All will be revealed dear friends. All will be revealed!
What I love about what D.L. does with the story which is exactly what I loved about Shape of Mercy (which was oddly enough the same characters and I reviewed just a few weeks ago) is that the authors take a story from history and weave in fictional characters to make the story modern and more appealing. Most children aren't interested in history, it is bland, wordy and sometimes hard to understand. But alter it, make it current and it becomes interesting. D.L.'s take on the Witch Hunts and how things could be interrupted was brilliant. It is the way kids would think and act if they suddenly found themselves inserted in a different time (if this could ever happen).
I love how the children reacted to their conditions, surroundings, food, and education on the mill. It is a well written, interesting story and textbook in one. What I think is great about the marriage of fiction and non-fiction mix-ups is that, these stories open the readers mind to research further. To find out more about the non-fiction part of the story because now they know some of the players. Knowledge is power and getting kids to read books in a world of technology is hard, but making it fun and entertaining, brings out the researcher in all of us.
Great book for ages 8-14.
Emily and Megan are back and this time they use the magical amulet to visit Salem during the witch hunts in 1692 when a bunch of "afflicted" girl's accused people of "bewitching," Emily and Megan with the help of their friend Ben enter 1692 to find out more before they take on the roles of the "afflicted" for a school play. They tell everyone they are distant cousins of Abigail and eventually stay with her and her family. Through their explorations of the area and the people, they find something they believe may be causing the fits of the "afflicted". Will their discovery change the course of history? Should they change the course of history? All will be revealed dear friends. All will be revealed!
What I love about what D.L. does with the story which is exactly what I loved about Shape of Mercy (which was oddly enough the same characters and I reviewed just a few weeks ago) is that the authors take a story from history and weave in fictional characters to make the story modern and more appealing. Most children aren't interested in history, it is bland, wordy and sometimes hard to understand. But alter it, make it current and it becomes interesting. D.L.'s take on the Witch Hunts and how things could be interrupted was brilliant. It is the way kids would think and act if they suddenly found themselves inserted in a different time (if this could ever happen).
I love how the children reacted to their conditions, surroundings, food, and education on the mill. It is a well written, interesting story and textbook in one. What I think is great about the marriage of fiction and non-fiction mix-ups is that, these stories open the readers mind to research further. To find out more about the non-fiction part of the story because now they know some of the players. Knowledge is power and getting kids to read books in a world of technology is hard, but making it fun and entertaining, brings out the researcher in all of us.
Great book for ages 8-14.
August 24, 2016
Like the first book in the series, this was a fun way to portray a piece of history to young readers. This time, the girls go back to Salem at the time of the witch trials with their friend, Ben. While they are there, they witness the town blaming witchcraft on something they didn't understand. But the girls get to the bottom of it to discover that it was something entirely different. I enjoyed this part of the story because not only does it teach readers something about history, but it also teaches them not to jump to conclusions without exploring all possibilities. Like the first book, it is easy to read and imaginative. The characters are likable and set a good example for young readers. Very well done! I hope the author is planning another book in this series! I can't wait to see what historical event she will pick for the next one - if there is another one.
May 27, 2015
Of course I am partial to this one. But here's a great review from EK Family Reviews:
Praise for Magic By Moonlight: Excerpts from the Review by E K Family Books 3/10/11
Review By E (8-yrs. old) I liked this book a lot. I like that it was about witches, I didn't know anything about the Salem Witch Trials before. I liked that there was some magic involved and that they got to travel back in time. I really liked that they had to solve a puzzle in order to go home. I didn't want to put this book down. I really enjoyed the story and look forward to reading the other book in this series.
Review by K (parent of E)We read this book together, switching off reading aloud at each chapter. It took a little while to get going, but once we got into the meat of the story it flowed nicely. I loved that this book was historically correct and that, like the Time Warp Trio series, it can be used as educational material as well. It is a very quick read and does not contain any challenging vocabulary; I would rate it for 8-10 yr olds. It doesn't hold the same complexities as City of Ember or Harry Potter caliber Junior Fiction, but instead is a great intro to historical fiction for children. Overall a fun read and a great experience to read it together.
Praise for Magic By Moonlight: Excerpts from the Review by E K Family Books 3/10/11
Review By E (8-yrs. old) I liked this book a lot. I like that it was about witches, I didn't know anything about the Salem Witch Trials before. I liked that there was some magic involved and that they got to travel back in time. I really liked that they had to solve a puzzle in order to go home. I didn't want to put this book down. I really enjoyed the story and look forward to reading the other book in this series.
Review by K (parent of E)We read this book together, switching off reading aloud at each chapter. It took a little while to get going, but once we got into the meat of the story it flowed nicely. I loved that this book was historically correct and that, like the Time Warp Trio series, it can be used as educational material as well. It is a very quick read and does not contain any challenging vocabulary; I would rate it for 8-10 yr olds. It doesn't hold the same complexities as City of Ember or Harry Potter caliber Junior Fiction, but instead is a great intro to historical fiction for children. Overall a fun read and a great experience to read it together.
January 23, 2012
Over the past month or so I have done a couple of reviews for books that would be great for young boys who are reluctant readers, if you have a young girl around the ages of 8 to 12 who happens to be a reluctant reader ... have I discovered a series for you. But of course if they love to read ... they will love this series too! I enjoyed these two books myself. As a self-proclaimed history buff I found the plots to be entertaining and informative. The quick pace of the story will keep little ones interested and adults too. I think that these are also good books to share with kids who may be a little to young to read them on there own! Why not read a book that will have you both wanting more!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews