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Oh My Godmother #3
The Spell Bind
For the first time ever, the Godmothers' League is allowing a student to be homeschooled--and that student just happens to be Lacey Unger-Ware.
Fairy godmother training is tougher than it seems, though. Rhyming spells, magic dresses, and all those fairy-godmothering books are just the start of Lacey's troubles. When jetpack-obsessed Martin Shembly goes from unpopular to the biggest outcast in Lincoln Middle School history, Lacey tries to help with a little magic.
Oops!
Now she's caught in a serious spell bind! Martin is her new fairy godmother client! And if she fails to fix Martin's problems, Lacey and Katarina will be whooshed away to the South Pole. Worse: Martin's life will permanently stink--as in forever.
Will Lacey's training be enough to save them all? Or is Katarina going to need to learn to speak penguin?
- GenresFantasyMiddle Grade
256 pages, Hardcover
First published October 28, 2014
4 people are currently reading
340 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Brauner
6 books14 followersBarbara Brauner grew up in a house that had so many books her father had to brace the floors. After she moved to Los Angeles to work in the movie business, she met James Iver Mattson, who’s been her writing partner ever since. Barbara lives with her bite-y, scratchy, and yet still oddly lovable rescue cat Jeeves.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 20, 2016
Third in the Oh My Godmother urban fantasy series for middle-grade readers and revolving around Lacey Unger-Ware, twelve-year-old budding godmother.
My Take
OMG, this was a cute and fun adventure aimed at the twelve-year-old girl readers. No, the conflict in this isn't believable, but it is traumatic enough to up the drama and create a problem that requires strong friendship, team effort, and creative thinking without being mean! Those penalties Augustina intends to impose are enough to make anyone get their brain in gear!! There's also the matter of Lacey using others to solve her problems and why one should be prepared for going into a "meeting". Another good topic of discussion with your kids.
Poor Lacey, she has all the problems of middle-school with the need to volunteer everywhere for that day she applies to colleges, but she also has to learn her magic lessons and figure out why Scott is ignoring her. Like most typical students, she's putting off the studying. She also has that apology to make to Paige…and oh boy, it is certainly dramatic enough, *more laughter*…
Katarina is one of the best parts with her cranky attitude and total disregard for Lacey, her possessions, her room, her…you get the picture. That bit about cutting off her teddy bear's arm…lol… On the other hand, she is a terrible teacher!
My one real quibble is Katarina's appearance. She looks more like a messy teenager with bad taste than the glittery, princessy description in the text.
It's that last bit of help that Martin needs, that Lacey almost misses, and is the best part of the story. Definitely a phew moment… Seems Martin's dad is a lot more like Martin than he knew.
The Story
Lacey gets a major lesson in what not to do as a new-to-the-business fairy godmother when she does a spell bind, making Martin her new client. She has nine days to save him from his stupid life and make him look good to the school, fund raise the money for a new water tower and for the class field trips — and at the last — change his parents' attitudes.
…lest she and her teacher, Katarina, be sent to Antarctica forever. And blight Martin to a life forever stupid.
The Characters
Lacey Unger-Ware is a twelve-year-old overachiever — not all of it is her fault. Katarina Sycorax is her resentful fairy godmother, a three-inch tall tyrant, who knows all the tricks because she used to pull them. Madison is Lacey's younger sister with the pink tutu fixation. Lacey's dad is a chef, and he and their mom run the Hungry Moose, which specializes in comfort food. Julius is Lacey's much-put-upon orange cat; Prince Cornelius Sebastian is a complication.
Lacey's best friends include Sunny Varden and Paige Harrington (Lacey's first fairy godmother client in The Glitter Trap , 1) and both know about Lacey's magic. Martin Shembly is another friend, a brainy one who plays violin with a Star Trek and Lord of the Rings fixation. He's starting up the Future Flyers club.
Lincoln Middle School
Principal Nazarino has her dream wedding ( The Magic Mistake , 2) and has moved to Hawaii; now they have Principal Conehurst who loves to webcast. Mrs. Fleecy, the school secretary, runs Craft-N-Crunch, an afterschool activity. Mrs. Brinker is a PE teacher. At least she didn't make them clean up the food fight.
Scott Dearden (Lacey's lurve interest) is starting the Uni-Cyclones club. Dylan Hernandez plays on the basketball team and knows all about junk food, Blaine Anders, Gabby Thompson is a stuffed-animal maniac, and Marcie Dunphy can make the most amazing balloon animals. Makayla Brandice is the mean girl, a cheerleader (natch), who reports school news and puts down anyone she doesn't like on the school webcast. Taylor is her shadow.
Abner started up the now-successful Abner's Pickles (with his own brand of help). Mrs. Gibbs is his housekeeper.
The Godmothers' League…
…usually requires students to attend Godmother Academy. Augustina Oberon is the fairy who was blackmailed into allowing Lacey to be homeschooled. Terrifica Fata is Katarina's old teacher. Swettlanda Puck is in the books as being exiled to the South Pole. Mona Lisa Vermicelli was Leonardo da Vinci's fairy godmother.
A spell bind is created when a fairy godmother doesn't have a client AND uses a spell to help someone. Maestro Chaliapin is the violin teacher. It's so handy having a fairy godmother, lol.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a bright green background with a cartoon-like Martin wearing his jetpack and yellow helmet and "nerded" up with his green argyle sweater vest and too-short blue pants above his green tennis shoes. Naturally, he's wearing glasses. On the other side of the centered pink title stands Lacey in a pink cardigan over a pink-on-pink dotted T-shirt atop her bluejeans and wearing pink MaryJanes with pink socks. The smiling Lacey is waving her smokin' yellow wand at Martin. At the top of the page is the series information with Katarina swinging in the "O".
The title is what Lacey gets caught up — The Spell Bind — about which she should have learned.
My Take
OMG, this was a cute and fun adventure aimed at the twelve-year-old girl readers. No, the conflict in this isn't believable, but it is traumatic enough to up the drama and create a problem that requires strong friendship, team effort, and creative thinking without being mean! Those penalties Augustina intends to impose are enough to make anyone get their brain in gear!! There's also the matter of Lacey using others to solve her problems and why one should be prepared for going into a "meeting". Another good topic of discussion with your kids.
Poor Lacey, she has all the problems of middle-school with the need to volunteer everywhere for that day she applies to colleges, but she also has to learn her magic lessons and figure out why Scott is ignoring her. Like most typical students, she's putting off the studying. She also has that apology to make to Paige…and oh boy, it is certainly dramatic enough, *more laughter*…
Katarina is one of the best parts with her cranky attitude and total disregard for Lacey, her possessions, her room, her…you get the picture. That bit about cutting off her teddy bear's arm…lol… On the other hand, she is a terrible teacher!
I love her parents. They're so supportive! And they don't know about Lacey's magic! I do like the principal for being so cool about that water tower. He's still firm about the issues its collapse causes, but I like that he doesn't bully Martin over it. Now if only the rest of the school wasn't so mean, especially that nasty Makayla. I'd like to know where the teachers are when this is happening!The mention of quality ingredients is so appropriate in Lacey's family:
"If you're making poison ones, I have a great recipe. The secret's in the wolfsbane. Always fresh, never frozen."
My one real quibble is Katarina's appearance. She looks more like a messy teenager with bad taste than the glittery, princessy description in the text.
It's that last bit of help that Martin needs, that Lacey almost misses, and is the best part of the story. Definitely a phew moment… Seems Martin's dad is a lot more like Martin than he knew.
The Story
Lacey gets a major lesson in what not to do as a new-to-the-business fairy godmother when she does a spell bind, making Martin her new client. She has nine days to save him from his stupid life and make him look good to the school, fund raise the money for a new water tower and for the class field trips — and at the last — change his parents' attitudes.
…lest she and her teacher, Katarina, be sent to Antarctica forever. And blight Martin to a life forever stupid.
The Characters
Lacey Unger-Ware is a twelve-year-old overachiever — not all of it is her fault. Katarina Sycorax is her resentful fairy godmother, a three-inch tall tyrant, who knows all the tricks because she used to pull them. Madison is Lacey's younger sister with the pink tutu fixation. Lacey's dad is a chef, and he and their mom run the Hungry Moose, which specializes in comfort food. Julius is Lacey's much-put-upon orange cat; Prince Cornelius Sebastian is a complication.
Lacey's best friends include Sunny Varden and Paige Harrington (Lacey's first fairy godmother client in The Glitter Trap , 1) and both know about Lacey's magic. Martin Shembly is another friend, a brainy one who plays violin with a Star Trek and Lord of the Rings fixation. He's starting up the Future Flyers club.
Lincoln Middle School
Principal Nazarino has her dream wedding ( The Magic Mistake , 2) and has moved to Hawaii; now they have Principal Conehurst who loves to webcast. Mrs. Fleecy, the school secretary, runs Craft-N-Crunch, an afterschool activity. Mrs. Brinker is a PE teacher. At least she didn't make them clean up the food fight.
Scott Dearden (Lacey's lurve interest) is starting the Uni-Cyclones club. Dylan Hernandez plays on the basketball team and knows all about junk food, Blaine Anders, Gabby Thompson is a stuffed-animal maniac, and Marcie Dunphy can make the most amazing balloon animals. Makayla Brandice is the mean girl, a cheerleader (natch), who reports school news and puts down anyone she doesn't like on the school webcast. Taylor is her shadow.
Abner started up the now-successful Abner's Pickles (with his own brand of help). Mrs. Gibbs is his housekeeper.
The Godmothers' League…
…usually requires students to attend Godmother Academy. Augustina Oberon is the fairy who was blackmailed into allowing Lacey to be homeschooled. Terrifica Fata is Katarina's old teacher. Swettlanda Puck is in the books as being exiled to the South Pole. Mona Lisa Vermicelli was Leonardo da Vinci's fairy godmother.
A spell bind is created when a fairy godmother doesn't have a client AND uses a spell to help someone. Maestro Chaliapin is the violin teacher. It's so handy having a fairy godmother, lol.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a bright green background with a cartoon-like Martin wearing his jetpack and yellow helmet and "nerded" up with his green argyle sweater vest and too-short blue pants above his green tennis shoes. Naturally, he's wearing glasses. On the other side of the centered pink title stands Lacey in a pink cardigan over a pink-on-pink dotted T-shirt atop her bluejeans and wearing pink MaryJanes with pink socks. The smiling Lacey is waving her smokin' yellow wand at Martin. At the top of the page is the series information with Katarina swinging in the "O".
The title is what Lacey gets caught up — The Spell Bind — about which she should have learned.
November 19, 2014
My favorite of the series so far. Lacey is at her best. All the characters have grown on me. And, the plot is just, well, fun. A must read for fans of pickles, jet packs, and magic.
April 6, 2018
The book was fun to read and I enjoyed it but some was a little boring.
November 8, 2014
If you've been reading the Oh My Godmother (OMG) series from Disney / Hyperion, you already know how funny, witty, and clever these books are, but if you've never read them before, you are in for a treat. Barbara Brauner and James Iver Mattson turn the fairy godmother genre on its head completely. Most of these stories focus on the fairy godmother recipient - Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty being the iconic examples. But the OMG series is all about Lacey Unger-Ware, a fairy godmother in training who is trying hard to balance life as a sixth-grader, her family, her friends, a boy, AND learning magic. As if that wasn't hard enough, her mentor is a tough-as-nails dynamo named Katerina who has a penchant for doom and gloom. But through it all, Lacey's resourcefulness, intelligence, and kind-hearted attitude carries her along. Lacey's adventures will make you laugh, smile, and touch your heart.
Read my full review on the Disney Nerds blog:
http://disneynerd.wordpress.com/2014/...
Read my full review on the Disney Nerds blog:
http://disneynerd.wordpress.com/2014/...
January 11, 2015
Received book from an ARC giveaway. A great MG read for those you have a sense of humor and love magic. Charming and witty. We are looking forward to reading the rest from the series. A very enjoyable a book. I recommend!
December 28, 2016
Christina Ling's Video Book Review for Book 3 in the Oh My Godmother Series, The Spell Bind. Watch it here now!!!You can read this entire review at San Diego Book Review
December 7, 2014
Another fun read for MG!
November 9, 2014
I won this book in a GoodReads giveaway, and all I can say is Thank you Thank you Thank you. I shared it with my 13 year old granddaughter and she loved it too.
November 9, 2016
I read all the books and they were all good the third book was good
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews