Secondhand Magic

Matter-of-Fact Magic

by Ruth Chew

Let magic take you up, up, and away!
After Paul and Caroline fix a broken kite, it’s full of magic! The kite can fly on its own—and even better, it wants to take them on a ride. Now the two kids must hold on tight. . . . Their adventure is about to begin!
 
For decades, Ruth Chew’s classic chapter books full of everyday magic have enchanted early readers. Now that they are in print again, a new generation can fall under her spell and fall in love with reading.
 
“Ruth Chew’s classic books capture the joy of everyday magic.” —Mary Pope Osborne, author of the Magic Tree House series

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Witches, Childrens Fantasy

144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Ruth Chew is the author of a number of popular books for young readers, including Secondhand Magic and The Wednesday Witch. She was born in Minneapolis and grew up in Washington, D.C. She studied art at the Corcoran School of Art and worked as a fashion artist. She was the mother of five children.

Reviews

[Jonathan Carlisle · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a kid, I read a lot of books. This is one of them that is always a pleasant memory. I know I cared less about the writing and more about the ideas behind the story. If it involved a new concept or a twisty way of looking at things, I was hooked. And the somber, dreamlike state of the book was a draw for me as well. My favorite part is how the magical measuring tape works. It's backwards, and delightful.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

several of Chew's books are on openlibrary... yay!

This would be a good one to start with... if you don't mind making your kids jealous of the days when children could be 'free range' in Brooklyn....

[Nene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was then a 9 year old curious boy in Ghana. Never had come across a Ruth Chew book until my childhood friend lent me his half tattered, coverless copy( apt for a book with that title). The book cast its spell and easily is one of my favorite childhood books ever. The title and author have remained with me whenever I think of my favorite childhood books. This was the only Ruth Chew book I read as a child because they weren’t as accessible as Enid Blyton, Sweet valley or Hardy Boys where I grew up but what an impression it made!

[Joy_S · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was a child, I read every Ruth Chew book I could get my hands on. Her stories were always simple but full of wonder and magic--just the sort of dreamy confections I loved. Now her books are mostly out of print and hard to find; I search for copies whenever I visit a used book store, and am lucky to come across one every once in a while. I re-read this one, about a brother and sister (Caroline and Paul) who find an unusual kite. Of course the kite is magical and ends up taking them on adventures, and inevitably they meet a wizard. Like any Ruth Chew story, this is a glimpse into the past, at a simpler time that perhaps never really existed, when children could cavort all over without worry and when every odd stranger was a friendly supernatural being there to foster budding imaginations and not a killer or pervert who couldn't be trusted. There are subtle messages of what is right and wrong but no great pronouncements or major moral lessons. Just gentle fantasy, with mild drama--perfect for a bedtime story for the creative kids in your life. The books she wrote are made all the more charming by her own illustrations, which seem like black and white pencil sketches in the notebook of your great-aunt Ruth--the one who might just be a witch.

[A B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, clever story about a sister and brother that find a magic kite, enhance it with magic glue, and go on a few adventures. The book features a few cameo appearances from The Wednesday Witch, such as the scissors and possibly the roller skates. The kite, Bird, manages to have a bit of a fun personality. The siblings consider stealing something, but realize it's wrong to go through with it - a nice moral message about knowing right from wrong.

The clerk and daughter that run the little corner store kind of detracted from the story a bit because they weren't particularly nice and were rude to the wizard.

[Kim Hampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a Ruth Chew book (The Trouble with Magic) when I was a kid and I loved it. I was thinking about it recently and decided to see if my local library could get me a copy. When they did, they got this one also. I didn't enjoy it quite as much, mostly because it felt like at the end that it should keep going. Not sure if she ever did a sequel but I wonder if that's what she had in mind. Anyway, it was a nice story and would be perfect for beginning chapter readers who enjoy fantasy.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think people are remembering this book with nostalgia. I think it doesn’t hold up to modern standards (Clem is super creepy, running around in secret with two kids?! What?!) and the narrative is sketchy and difficult to follow. At points neither my daughter nor I knew what was going on, at all. Worse than Magic Treehouse, and I really dislike Magic Treehouse.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was nice.

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

7/10

[C. (Don't blank click my reviews, comment please! · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ruth Chew’s work ranges staggeringly from magnificence to drab characterizations. I devoured her novels at school, a rare foray into any library. I relish shopping for secondhand books and building resources at home. Finding them has yielded triumphs.

“Second-hand Magic” 1981 is a lemon but cost nothing to try. As a writer and eclectic reader, I look at the nuts & bolts of stories, with an eye to active contributions to their resolutions. Adventures that wind up pointlessly, where characters made no impact on the outcomes, do not hold truck with me. If the concluding events are not pathetic; an exhilarating, colourful, ambitious, or creative journey can wash over everything.

It is annoying if fiction of any age stops, for Parents to issue commands. They are like non player videogame objects, mumbling a script as you go by. I am impressed that Ruth made a Dad part of the fun, not a bossy background.

She maintained her usual crutch of not showing Parents magical things; assuming they could not assimilate it. That was stupid because it was easily demonstrable in every book. It was more because they thought they would catch heck for bringing a witch in the house or whatever, which is stupider.

I gave two stars because the wizard in this story was untrustworthy unless things broke his way and was not magical. He needed glue to tackle every scenario. If you only know a few stories, you do not see habits recycled. The originality in most of Ruth’s work is outstanding. I loved the resizable pocket boat in this one!

My favourite is a masterpiece of imagination and intrigue that should be expanded in detail. It is “What The Witch Left”, restored to my memory with awe, even though I had not read it in 45 years!

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two kids, a magic kite and some random items from a second hand store = good times.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites when I was in grade school

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a short but very entertaining read!

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little story. Very sweet, and I liked the kite imagery.

[Chade66 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I seriously thought about going out and buying a kite after reading this.

[Kaijsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of cute magic ideas. A measuring tape to make things bigger, a magic glue that fixes things, a magic scissor to make things smaller...

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and quirky book. I loved it as a kid and still do

[Crystal Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruth Chew was one of my favorite authors during my childhood. I have fond memories of reading her Witch books. They fostered my love for children's literature.

[Melea]

One of my favourites as a child, I must have read it at least a dozen times over the years.

[Woffle · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was a great adventure, exciting and scary another not the best but alright Enid Blyton book.