Magic in the Mix

Miri and Molly #2

by Annie Barrows

New twin sisters Miri and Molly are ready for a normal life. But just when they think there's smooth sailing ahead, a door opens, time folds, and magic is unleashed from their very special house.

The girls set off on a new adventure, playing a cat-and-mouse game with time--and trouble--as they discover two soldiers in need of their help. With cunning, imagination, and the inadvertent assistance of their kitten, Molly and Miri must find a way to save themselves and their wayward brothers from the past.

Brimming with lovable characters and spine-tingling magic, this sequel will bring new readers to Annie Barrows' highly acclaimed, wonderfully popular world of twin-inspired magic.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Historical, Magic, Childrens, Time Travel

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Annie grew up in Northern California, and graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, with a degree in Medieval History. Unable to find a job in the middle ages, she decided upon a career as an editor, eventually landing at Chronicle Books in San Francisco, where she was in charge of "all the books that nobody in their right mind would publish." After earning an M.F.A. in Creative Writing at Mills College, Annie wrote (as Ann Fiery) a number of books for grown-ups about such diverse subjects as fortune-telling (she can read palms!), urban legends (there are no alligators in the sewer!), and opera (she knows what they're singing about!). In 2003, Annie grew weary of grown-ups, and began to write for kids, which she found to be way more fun.

Reviews

[QNPoohBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am choosing to give this book 4 stars simply because I couldn't put it down. Overall though, I did not like it as much as the first book. I will not be recommending it to my nieces because of language and the behavior of the children in this book. Miri and Molly are now 6th graders in Middle School and buddies with their older brothers. The 4 of them keep each other out of trouble and then Miri and Molly accidentally get their brothers into trouble. I also didn't like the Civil War narrative, despite being a scholar of that time period. I felt like it was too stereotypical with the old guys doing reenactments as Confederate soldiers, the anti-Yankee sentiment expressed even among the people of today (Paxton the Glory of the Old Dominion) and OF COURSE the Confederates are big, bad men and the Yankees are the good guys. The moral and the author's note cleared up some of my misgivings though. The moral comes a little late in the book for my taste. The author's note does explain the real life incidents the story was based on. For those wishing to recommend this for a younger reader, there is a fair amount of violence used to show that war was brutal and not like a video game.

I liked practical Molly better than Miri. Molly is a quick thinker and has a better understanding of the past than Miri. Molly is a great actress and thinks fast. I felt bad for her that she felt like she may not belong in Miri's family and worried the magic would send her back. Miri is a bit dumb. She's a dreamer and a do-er but not a thinker. She rushes in without thinking about her actions. I felt annoyed with her for most of the book.

Ray and Robbie reminded me of the Weasley twins. They're always up to something, constantly in trouble and completely mischievous. They do have a softer, sweeter side. It drove me as crazy as the parents that they cut class and didn't know the first thing about history. Their 1864 story was really unbelievable given the way they talked and acted. Their age wasn't an issue, as the author points out in her note, but the rest bothered me. I did like that it was the girls who got them out of trouble!

If you liked the first book and wanted to know what happened next, pick this one up but know that as an adult, you probably won't enjoy it as much as the target age audience.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

A tidy and predictable little juvenile adventure that blends fantasy and historical fiction thanks to some time travel back to the 1910s and the U.S. Civil War.

I could see this being some kid's favorite book, but it just didn't do much for me.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not nearly as light as the cover implies, or as the older stories that it reminds me of (for example, the Half Magic series by Edward Eager. It has enough intense Civil War history in it that it's a good thing that there's an author's note. And there's a theme about what one's duties are, when one learns an uncomfortable truth. I don't quite feel eager to read another in the series, so 3.5 stars, but rounded up because I think it's an interesting and valuable book that more MG kids should read.

Btw, the first is also good, and surprisingly intense in some ways. You don't need to read it first as the key events are summarized here, but I do recommend you read it anyway.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Magic in the Mix is the sequel to The Magic Half. Miri and Molly have settled in the present were everyone believes they are the middle twins in the Gill family. Only Miri and Molly remember that Molly is originally from 1935 and was rescued by Miri. When their dad tears off the back porch of the house he opens another portal to the past, specifically 1918 where the girls again see the evil Flo and meet Molly's mom Maudie. A broken window opens another door into the past this one to 1864 and the Civil War. The girls rescue a couple of Yankee prisoners from the evil Clark, but find out they are not the only ones who can time travel when their brother Roy and Robbie end up in 1864 as well. Of course they are dressed as Yankee soldiers since they were on their way to a Civil War reenactment. It is up to Miri and Molly to rescue the boys and get back to the present time.

This was another nice book by Annie Barrows. I found it interesting that the littlest changes to the house opened up portals to different times and different openings went different times. I liked that all the kids had to think on their feet and figure out how to get out of a dangerous situation. I wish there had been more parental presence in the book. The mom and dad are barely around and barely make an impression throughout. Not a very realistic or likely story but one I am sure kids will enjoy.

I received this book from Netgalley.com.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Molly and Miri Gill are fraternal twins, unlike their identical older twin brothers Ray and Robbie and their identical younger twin sisters Nora and Nell. The only difference is that Molly was originally living in 1935 when Miri traveled back in time and found her. Both girls traveled forward to Miri's time and have lived as twin sisters ever since, and luckily, everyone has a little mind adjustment so no one except Molly and Miri remembers what it was like before Molly arrived - they remember only that she was always there.

OK, that and more is what happened in Annie Barrows's first book The Magic Half. Now Molly has lived in the present long enough that she doesn't make too many slip ups about her former life. But suddenly, during some house renovations, the magic comes back, the girl time travel back to 1935 again. But why? Then, they are also sent back to 1918 and Molly meets her real mom as a teen. Molly's mom had died after marrying and having Molly, which is why she was living with mean Aunt Flo in 1935. When Molly realizes that she could possibly change her mother's fate by going back to 1918 again and preventing her from meeting her future dad, she begins to believe maybe she needs to do, even though it would mean giving up Miri and her new, great life with the Gills.

Meanwhile, twins Ray and Robbie are in trouble in history class, and have to participate in a Civil War reenactment to help bring up their grade. Turns out, the boys really like enacting the Civil War, but then they get in trouble (again) for not doing their homework, and they are not allowed to go back to the battlefield until all it's done. So the boys try to sneak out of the house when the parents and youngest twin sisters are out. Suddenly, Miri realizes that her brothers have time traveled back too, but to where? When she and Molly follow them, they discover they are in the midst of the Civil War as it happened in their neighborhood. And Ray and Robbie, dressed in Union uniforms for their reenactment, have just been captured by Confederate soldiers.

Molly and Mire can't help but wonder why all this happened? After all, the magic is supposed to set things right, not make them more complicated.

I really thought Magic in the Mix was a very readable middle grade time travel novel that will probably have lots of appeal to young readers despite or even maybe because of the amount of Civil War history included. The real story, however, revolves around the tough dilemma the girls are facing that would separate them for life, and on solving the mystery of what the magic needed to set right with their help in 1864, 1918 and 1935.

One of the things I liked about Magic in the Mix is the way the girls arrive right where their house is each time they travel back in time. Barrows describes the area through Miri's observations so that the reader get a sense of time as far as how the house, the yard and the people living there change over time. By connecting it all to the Gill family, it really shows how the past is so connected to the present (and presumably the future).

I had never read The Magic Half, so I was afraid that maybe I wouldn't really be able to appreciate this novel completely, but it really is a good stand alone story. The reader is given just the right amount of information they need to understand the history of Molly and Miri and how they became twin sisters.

Twins are always popular in literature for young readers and they seem to be gaining in popularity these days (because there are so many more twins being born nowadays? Perhaps). That special bond they have with each other makes the idea of twins very appealing. Young readers don't have to be a twin, though, to enjoy this fun novel.

This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley

This review was originally posted on Randomly Reading

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magic in the Mix by Annie Barrows – Release date: September 16th, 2014. I love Ivy + Bean but honestly first? I met Annie Barrows through her book The Magic Half. I loved the book. It was that fabulous type of fantasy that isn’t just innocent and fluffy magical adventures it dealt with time travel and verbal abuse. So this book is packed with magic, twisted time, and family. I loved the inclusion of other family members, traveling in time to the Civil War and the complicated mess time travel can make. It was fascinating to read snippets of experiences during the Civil War and appreciated reading at the end of the book how Annie Barrows researched and placed true experiences throughout the book. Fabulous premise… Recommended: read both books!
Favorite quotes: “Remember what Grandma said- magic is just a way of setting things right. Remember?”
“I guess it’s a little weird, but I think that the magic lets us remember both because we’re the ones who made it happen. We know too much to forget it.”
“Time. It’s like the layers of a cake. In my mind, all of time, all the people who ever lived, and everything that ever happened in all of history is still going on, but in separate layers, stacked on on top of the other, like a cake.”

[Shazzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have not read The Magic Half, but decided to give this volume a go regardless. Luckily for me, Annie Barrows does a good job of explaining the goings-on of the first book so that a new reader might not be totally lost. I still felt as if I was missing something, but I think that something was only the pleasure of having read the first story about Miri and Molly.

This is a good book for fans of time travel, puzzles and history. It gets a little harsh at times (as stories must, when they deal with war), but aside from this acidity, Barrows' writing is reminiscent of Jeanne Birdsall and the Penderwick stories.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molly and Miri are twins and they have four siblings and a cat. Their brothers are Robbie and Ray. Their sisters are Nell and Nora. And their cat is Cookie. Miri and Molly go to a different time zone which is 1918. Their are in middle school. They pretend to be sick to figure things out. Molly is the one with braids and Miri is the one with wavy hair.

[Georgann · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an adventure! I love our heroines! They are so good at figuring things out. Some of the other characters not so much. And again with the swearing in a middle grade book. Loved the ending and the notes from the author at the end, explaining some of the facts which entered into the story. I would recommend reading that first, as it helped explained some of what was happening.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Didn't enjoy this as much as the first one, but it was still an interesting mid grade book.

[Stephen Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rather moving story of children who are caught up in time travel, and learn about their own family history and that of their country as a result. I class it as fantasy rather than science fiction because in the book the time travel is ascribed to magic rather than to technology.

Miri and Molly Gill are sisters (as a result of an earlier time-travelling adventure) with two older twin brothers and two younger twin sisters. The house they live in seems to be built on a thin place in time, where events of different times come close to each other, and sometimes this allows the inhabitants to cross from one time to another.

Miri and Molly are initially the only members of the family who are aware of this, and believe that they have been allowed to travel in time to put things right. Presumably they discovered this accidentally in an earlier book in the series, but in this book, while they cannot travel at will to any time they choose, they can with some thought, and some trial and error, manage to do it sometimes.

In this book they travel to the twentieth century, and learn something of Molly's family history, and travel to the nineteenth century and learn something about the American Civil War, and esxperience some of its dangers.

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

probs would’ve loved it more as a kid. don’t love that the brothers got involved and my biggest issue is why they didn’t question how m&m knew abt the magic??? also some moments felt too downplay the confederacy, and even the author’s note at the end seemed to be justifying the Colonel’s confederate support?? i thought the story was going to follow a completely different time and i wish it had, i don’t gaf abt the civil war for this series

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Magic in the Mix is the sequel to Magic Half. I enjoyed both Magic Half and Magic in the Mix. Both books star Miri, a middle child. In the first book, Magic Half, Miri travels back in time and "rescues" Molly, a girl living in 1935. Molly fits right in with Miri's family when the two return. In fact, Miri and Molly are the only two that remember Molly's true origin. To everyone else, Miri and Molly are twins. Molly has always been a part of their family. In the second book, Molly and Miri do more time traveling. First, they travel back in time to 1918. Molly recognizes her mother, Maudie, and her aunt, Flo. The two are teens. Flo sees Molly and Miri as unwelcome intruders--gypsies, she calls them. Maudie, on the other hand, while still thinking of them as gypsies, sees them as potential friends. Second, they travel back in time to the Civil War era. I'm not exactly sure the book names a year. If it does, I can't recall it. Here's where everything turns tricksy. Molly and Miri aren't the only ones doing time travel. Their older brothers who just oh-so-conveniently happen to be into civil war re-enactments just happen to stumble their way into the past, into the real war, while wearing uniforms. And it is up to Miri and Molly to save the day.

I liked the book fine. However, there were several things that didn't charm me. I don't necessarily enjoy the family scenes. I don't know about the two youngest, but the oldest four children are irresponsible, disobedient, and disrespectful. All of the children are rude and insult one another. I didn't like some of the phrases they use. The children think absolutely nothing of lying and sneaking around. The dad. Has he had even a sentence or two in either book that could count as characterization? The mom. On the one hand, her children are always, always doing something they shouldn't be, and are very proud of the fact. But she seems to have only one tone: angry. The time travel also seemed even less realistic to me. I'm not sure how either girl managed to fool anyone in the Civil War era. (Rolling up your pants so they just see your T-shirt doesn't seem very a very authentic way of passing, even if you go the extra step and take off your glasses.)

[Anoush · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molly and Miri now live together as twins, although they both remember how Molly came to their family and have two different versions of memories of the past in their heads. They travel back in time again and have to figure out the purpose for this magic as Molly worries that she doesn't really belong in this happy family she's found and Miri doesn't want to be alone again, but needs to know what "the magic" wants. It doesn't just happen for no reason. As Grandma May says, "Magic is just a way of setting things right."

This book has an awesome intro. Whenever you have a series, the author has to do a summation of the previous book(s) without seeming too obvious about it. In this book it was short and concise but still interesting and relevant.

I also love how, in the beginning we are shown that Molly does start out a bit awkward in the 21st century, which makes her time travel and being wholly accepted in a new family without question more believable (even if it is magic; even magic has logic). And having two sets of memories (Miri remembering her first day of kindergarden alone AND holding Molly's hand) also goes further to explain their weird time paradox.

I really liked the further exploration of time travel in this book and the implications of Miri's original parents not meeting for her future self. The details of the travel were more complicated in this book and their mission was also more complicated.

Content was a little more serious in this book. The girls end up in the Civil War for a while and it is pretty realistic. Ther eare some absolutely amoral and violent people they meet, as well as seeing a small battle and some wounded thereafter. I think the author was trying to help us learn about war as a real and tragic event, not just something that happened "millions of years ago," as Miri felt before experiencing it.

[Danzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start this review by stating a fact: I love Annie Barrows. The Ivy & Bean series is a huge favorite in our house, and my oldest daughter and I read The Magic Half together about two years ago, and loved it. I was very excited to receive a copy of Magic in the Mix via a Goodreads contest, and while my eldest is nine now, and an excellent independent reader, I was so relieved that she still wanted to read this one with me. I was excited to see what Barrows had in store for Miri and Molly - what can I say?

Magic in the Mix takes place some time after The Magic Half ends. Miri and Molly are twins now, and while they have the same memories of life together through the years that the rest of their family has, they also clearly remember that Molly isn't originally a member of the family. She still remembers her life during the Great Depression, and Miri remembers the entire time-traveling adventure that brought her to Molly in the first place. I do not want to give much away, but one day, the girls slip through time again, to an era before Molly is born, and again to a much earlier time, during the Civil War. This time, their adventures involve a little white kitten and their goofy older brothers, and are fraught with even more danger. It's a suspenseful read at times, and there are little history lessons to be found within the pages, which I enjoyed. Barrows injects her story with her usual sense of humor, and we truly laughed out loud many times. A more than worthy sequel to another cool middle-grade book.

[Elissa Schaeffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last time we met Molly and Miri, Miri traveled back in time and saved Molly from her abusive family. Molly now lives with Miri and her family and it's like there's always been three sets of twins--only Molly and Miri remember anything of life before the time traveling.

But the house isn't done with these girls yet as they are once again sent through time on an adventure involving Molly's mother, the Civil War, and their rambunctious brothers Robbie and Ray. There's much more layering of time adventures than in the The Magic Half but Barrows seems to handle it all well. I was confused at first about why Molly and Miri were traveling to these specific and seemingly unrelated points but Barrows brought it all together.

I wanted to give this three stars but I believe that's just because I liked the first book better; however it doesn't mean that this book isn't great because it is. Standing on it's own, it deserves four stars.

Recommended, grades 4 and up.

[Lisa B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Thoughts

While Molly and Miri are twins, Molly is actually from 1935. Magically, they are the only two who are aware of where Molly came from. In this sequel to The Magic Half, the girls are transported back to the Civil War.


This book is written for ages 8 to 12, but as an adult, I found it very entertaining. I like to occasionally read children’s books because I like to see who authors gear their writing toward a younger audience. And often, I learn something!


I enjoyed all of the characters in this book along with the information regarding the Civil War. Molly and Miri are delightful together and it was lots of fun spending time with them on their time traveling adventure.

Well done Ms. Barrows.

Many thanks to Bloomsbury USA Children’s, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Ashleyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Science Fiction Age: 3rd-6th

The Twins are back, their house is the problem as it allows them to travel back in time to Molly's Mom's Era. The problem isn't the time travel its what happens when their brothers fall through the chasm and inadvertently become traitors in the civil war.

I was fortunate enough to grab a pre-street copy at the Texas Library Association's Conference this year. I had always loved the first book as it was really well written form of early science fiction. This book is just as good it will be on one of my top recommendations. I even let one of my students borrow the pre-street and they loved it.

[melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 6-year old and I both really enjoyed this book. There is so much going on - some of which is a little scary for a 6-year old - but it certainly kept her on the edge of her seat. This time Molly and Miri go further back in time and face real dangers. It lead to a lot of interesting ) conversations with my daughter (a 6-year old Canadian girl knows nothing about the American Civil War). Sometimes I'm a little confused as to how exactly the magic works but in the end it really doesn't matter. We are both hoping that there will be a next book in the series. I see my daughter reading this series again and again when she is older (and I have two more daughters to read the books to).

[Wednesday · Rating 2 out of 5]

Several people had commented that this was not as good as the first book, (The Magic Half), and I would have to agree. It's great to reconnect with Miri and Molly and other characters from the previous, and we also get to meet plenty of new ones. However, the inter-connection between them all is less obvious in this book and it was a bit confusing as the girls moved back in forth between time periods. ( If you haven't read the first book, then you may struggle to make sense of it all). I liked the portals to the other times and thought they were cleverly imagined but there were almost too many. Still, a fun read if you want to know what happens to the girls.

[Meghan Nels · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first became a fan of Annie Barrows when I was introduced to her early chapter book series, Ivy and Bean. Having read Ivy and Bean I was eager to read her newest title, Magic in the Mix. Skipping the first book in the series, The Magic Half, made for a slightly more difficult, but enjoyable read. Fans of historical fiction as well as books that involve time travel and magic will enjoy Magic in the Mix. Older readers who read Ivy and Bean will enjoy reading Annie Barrow's newest title that is sure to delight readers of all ages and types.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

6th graders Miri and Molly have another magical adventure through time as the magic in their house sends them back in time. After meeting Molly's mother the girls end up in the middle of a civil was battle where they must save their brothers (who have been mistaken for Union soldiers) from a malicious confederate soldier. Fantasy, adventure and family combine for a satisfying story. Readers need not have read Molly & Miri's fist adventure, Half Magic, to enjoy this title but they will probably want to go find it when they have finished.

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this sequel to The Magic Half, Miri and Molly travel back in time again. Some work being done on their house opens up portals to two different periods in time -- 1918 and during the Civil War. Unsure of exactly what the magic wants them to fix, they worry that it might have something to do with Molly's birth. When their twin brothers Robbie and Ray accidentally journey into the past, Molly and Miri risk everything to save them. A great follow up to the first book, and a must-read for lovers of time travel. I recommend reading The Magic Half first. For grades 4-6.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, and my kids, 3rd & 1st graders, really enjoyed this book. I would give it a three, myself.

One part of the book that I found to be incongruent with the rest was the dark hole from shelling. Miri feels like she's almost pulled into it. It felt very dark and the genre really changed for me. I thought it was an unnecessary addition to the book, and a part that night give my kids nightmares.

My first grader was very nervous during many of the civil war scenes, but she covered her ears and made it through.

[Erica]

I really loved this book! There are times when I struggle with middle-grade, where I can see how it would be great for an actual middle-grader but I'm not enjoying the book. This was NOT one of those times. I loved Molly and Miri and the way that Annie Barrows writes their world. It's a world of magic, but where everything is actually pretty normal aside from the one magical element. Most importantly, the emotions are real. Can't wait for fall!

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed The Magic Half very much, and this sequel may be even better. I especially loved that the girls didn't just move on to a new adventure--they were still processing the events and results of the first life-altering book, and the issues of family and loyalty were dealt with in such a touching, authentic way. Ray and Robbie were so much fun in this one, and the doses of action and history and danger were just right.

[Lucas]

This book stayed true to the characters and story from the first book which I was very happy to see.

With the girls learning more and more about how their house and magic fit together, will even more adventures occur or will this trip back to the past (and the close calls that went along with the trip) be enough? Hopefully, there will be more.

I can't wait to add this book to my classroom library!

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun time travel book that kids will enjoy, particularly Civil War history books. The relationship between the sisters and the family dynamics elevates this story. Miri and Molly are great characters. Their brothers, Ray and Robbie, are also very likeable. The interaction between the siblings, the girl/boy stuff, is entertaining.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but wished two parts of the ending would have been stronger.

As characters, if the boys were going to be so important, I would have liked them to be less flat.

I am mixed about shifting between three time periods.

In some ways, this read like the middle book in a trilogy, where you feel like more questions are raised than are answered.

[Princess Leia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book was definitely better. This book seemed a little weird because they traveled two places and one of them seemed like the story could have gone somewhere better if they only went to the other place. The other would have been great if the only went there and spent more time trying to figure out what they were supposed to do there. Creative, but could have been better.