More Than Magic

by Kathryn Lasky

Girls who enjoy spunky heroines such as Merida from Brave (Disney/Pixar) and Ella from Ella Enchanted will want to join Rory and Ryder in their adventures in our world—and the world beyond the TV. An exciting new middle-grade fantasy from Kathryn Lasky, bestselling author of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series.
 
Ryder Holmsby is the same age as Rory, the popular TV cartoon character her animator parents created. Ryder and Rory are alike—bold and brave! But Ryder is a bit Mom passed away a couple of years ago, and Dad is dating a woman with snooty teenage daughters. Ryder doesn’t fit in with them at all.
 
And Shazam! Rory jumps out of the TV into Ryder’s bedroom to tell her that the TV studio behind her parents’ show is trying to turn Rory into a dopey princess—no more adventures. She needs Ryder’s help! The two girls team up with a crew of animated and real-life friends to save the day in both worlds.
 
Kathryn Lasky, bestselling author of the Guardians of Ga’hoole series, the Wolves of the Beyond series, and the Horses of the Dawn series, delivers a whimsical tale in which inner strength is the greatest form of magic.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Magic, Childrens

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 27, 2016

About the author

Kathryn Lasky, also known as Kathryn Lasky Knight and E. L. Swann, is an award-winning American author of over one hundred books for children and adults. Best known for the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series, her work has been translated into 19 languages and includes historical fiction, fantasy, and nonfiction.

Reviews

[Rabiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally posted at: https://iliveforreading.blogspot.com/...

I've been trying to get more into middle grade fiction lately, because there have been a whole bunch of releases that look amazing, and also why not? Middle school was time when I started to really love reading (even more than I did before!), and started moving away from middle grade to young adult fiction. More Than Magic is one of the several middle grade books that I had waiting for me when I got back to university, but unfortunately due to the work load I was faced with that semester, I put it off until recently. Unfortunately, in the end, I didn't really enjoy this book. I've heard good things about Kathryn Lasky's books–I mean, she wrote The Guardians of Ga'Hoole series! Even though I've never read it, I've always wanted to because people rave and rave about it. However, this book just wasn't for me.*

*Clarification time: okay, when I say "wasn't for me" I mean that I recognise that this is a middle grade book, intended to be consumed by middle grade readers, but even so, I've read several other middle grade books and I've found them to be pretty good in terms of plot and character. Not to say that this book didn't, because it definitely did. I just think it was missing that little spark, that extra umph, because I came away from this one not completely satisfied with how things turned out in the end.

The characters were interesting. They lacked a little depth, but they were still likeable characters. I enjoyed the parallels between the real world and the world of Ecalpon, because it was cool to see how Ryder's parents applied so many of the characteristics of the people around them into the characters they created for television. Ryder was a strong main character, and so was Rory, and I enjoyed the fun moments of trying to navigate between the worlds and the reactions of characters on both sides. What I couldn't buy was the adults in the book jumping in on what's going on and being totally cool with it. A little more freak out would be slightly more realistic, but they just seemed to accept it and move on.

While this book wasn't what I hoped it would be, it was still a cute adventure with important lessons about strong female figures in media (definitely relevant in this day and age!). I don't know if this will be a series or not, but I'm unsure whether I'd pick up the sequel or not. More Than Magic, besides my criticisms, was a fun story with headstrong heroines that I can see younger readers enjoying.

▪ ▪ ▪ Thank you so much to Josh at Random House Children's Books for sending me a copy for review! ▪ ▪ ▪

[Dena McMurdie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I'm going to be honest, this wasn't my favorite book. I've read other books by this author (Guardians of Ga'hoole, Horses of the Dawn) that I enjoyed quite a bit, but this one was confusing. I didn't really understand how the kids kept going back and forth between Ecalpon (the TV world) and the real world. The concept of being in wireframe and having a soul and heart didn't make much sense and the parts about coding were hard to follow. My kids kept saying the story was confusing, and they didn't understand how it worked.

On the upside, my kids liked the story in spite of their confusion over the particulars. The idea that your favorite cartoon characters could climb right out of your TV and exist in real life is fun. My kids particularly liked the Witch of Wenham and her lizard butler. I really liked the girl-power theme. I liked how the characters fought against the maturing of the cartoon characters and wanted the tv show to stay focused on a girl who isn't a princess.

I think it was a great idea, but it needed more development. The characters needed rounding out and some of the concepts needed a better explanation. It has potential. I don't know if this will be a series or not, but I'd be interested to see what happens next.

Content: A few instances of taking the Lord's name in vain.

Find more books for middle grade readers at Batch of Books

[Trina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ryder Holmsby was the inspiration for a cartoon character, Rory, created by her mom and dad. Unfortunately, her mom passed away two years ago. Ryder and her dad have been adjusting to life without her. Ryder’s dad suddenly starts acting different and begins dating Bernice. Bernice barges into their lives trying to take over and change everything, including the future of Rory and the show. Rory can’t allow this to happen so she finds a way to project herself out of the TV to warn Ryder. Ryder, Rory and a couple of staff members come to the rescue along with Ryder’s dearly beloved Granny. This story has the characters going back and forth between reality and Rory’s world, Ecalpon. They are fighting against time because they have to make sure they have everything fixed before the new movie premiere.
This was a cute story that intertwined reality and animation. Ryder was having a hard time dealing with the loss of her mother and now the new girlfriend. When she finally met Rory face-to-face, she realized that Rory was like her mom’s child also. Her mom had created Rory. Ryder was able to share feelings of her loss with someone that understood. This had a Cinderella twist because Bernice had 3 daughters and she wanted her daughters upfront and the center of attention. Instead of a Prince’s ball, she wanted to ensure Rory’s new image was based on her daughter, Bliss. There was also quite a bit of detail regarding computer animation and creating these characters. This was educational and would be good information for someone that is interested in that field.
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[LitPick Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story begins in Deadwood, South Dakota, where Ryder is staying at the home of her Grandma, or “Granny,” who plays an important role in Ryder's life since Ryder's mom has passed away. Ryder and her father live in Los Angeles, California, where he is a TV show creator of Super-Rory-Us. When Ryder goes home, her dad is very happy to see her, but she's unsure about his girlfriend, Bernice, and her 3 daughters, who Ryder calls “The Three Happys." One night she turns on the TV and watches Super-Rory-Us. Suddenly, shazam! Rory jumps out of the TV! How could this happen and what could Rory need from Ryder?

Opinion:
More than Magic was a fun book that made me giggle throughout with its vivid descriptions and situations. Kathryn Lasky did a great job creating word pictures in great detail! I also liked how she included funny bits during the more serious parts of the book. I didn't enjoy how Rory, at one point, included a bathroom discussion with her family in gross detail. That could have been left out, as it was not necessary to the story. Overall, this book was wonderfully written and woven together with wit, friendship, and laughter. I am 10 years old and would recommend this book to anyone around my age!

Reviewed by a LitPick student book reviewer, Age 10

[Audrey Light And Smell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ryder vit seule avec son père depuis la mort de sa mère. Si celle-ci lui manque, la jeune fille vit néanmoins une vie heureuse grâce à sa relation très privilégiée avec son père et sa grand-mère. Elle trouve également un certain réconfort, à la disparition prématurée de sa mère, à travers une série télé créée par cette dernière et mettant en scène Rory. La mère de Ryder a voulu faire de Rory une fillette forte qui, grâce à son esprit et à sa bravoure, vient à bout de tous les dangers et de tous les méchants.

Tout allait donc pour le mieux jusqu’à ce qu’une nouvelle femme et ses trois filles fassent une apparition dans la vie du père de Ryder. Cette potentielle marâtre va jouer de son influence pour transformer la courageuse Rory en une énième princesse potache attendant son prince charmant ! Ryder, avertie de la situation, fera tout ce qui est en son pouvoir pour sauver Rory de cette abominable transformation qui dénaturerait tout le travail de sa mère. Pour ce faire, elle pourra compter sur la magie, élément qui entre inopinément dans sa vie. La magie va lui permettre de rencontrer Rory et de voyager du monde réel au monde virtuel. Travaillant main dans la main, les deux jeunes filles vont alors tout faire pour que le personnage imaginé par leur mère reste fidèle à lui-même.

Malgré une certaine lenteur dans le rythme qui m’a parfois fait un peu décrocher, j’ai apprécié cette histoire qui s’apparente sans peine à un conte avec de la magie et des sorcières, des gentils, une quête, une morale... L’originalité provient du fait que ce conte se déroule dans le monde réel ET virtuel. Le mélange de la magie et de l’informatique, qui pourrait presque s’apparenter à une autre sorte de magie, est efficace et rend l’histoire intéressante. On a très vite envie de découvrir les aventures de Ryder et de son avatar et de les suivre d’un monde à l’autre. Mon seul petit regret à ce niveau est le manque de développement du monde virtuel. L’auteure arrive à nous plonger dans celui-ci sans problème, mais j’aurais quand même souhaité un peu plus de détails. Néanmoins, ce roman étant destiné à la jeunesse, je comprends qu’elle n’ait pas voulu décourager les enfants par une avalanche de descriptions…

Le père de Ryder m’a régulièrement agacée par son apathie devant les initiatives de sa nouvelle petite amie. Mais au fil du roman, on se rend compte qu’il est tout simplement encore sous le choc de la mort de sa femme et qu’il est presque soulagé qu’une nouvelle personne prenne sa vie en main. Dans cette histoire, ce sont donc définitivement les femmes les plus fortes : Ryder va de l’avant et fait tout pour sauver le travail de sa mère, Rory est bien décidée à se battre pour rester une héroïne forte et la grand-mère de Ryder va soutenir sa petite fille dans tout ce qu’elle entreprend. Très proche de ma grand-mère maternelle, j’ai d’ailleurs adoré la relation entre Ryder et sa grand-mère. Leur complicité, en plus d’être touchante, les a sans aucun doute aidées dans leur travail de deuil. C’est peut-être ce genre de soutien qui a manqué au père de Ryder pour reprendre le contrôle de sa vie…

J’ai aimé voyager du monde réel au monde virtuel, voir des amitiés se forger et des complots être déjoués. Mais derrière cette aventure fantastique, More than magic aborde des thèmes universels comme la famille, l’amitié, l’acceptation de soi, le fait de grandir, la possibilité pour une jeune fille d’être sa propre héroïne et de suivre ses rêves indépendamment de ceux imposés par la société… Sans jamais tomber dans le larmoyant, le roman parle également de la difficile question du deuil. On comprend ainsi parfaitement ce que ressent Rory, son père et sa grand-mère face à la disparition prématurée de cette femme qui a tant compté et qui compte toujours autant pour eux…

Enfin, cerise sur le gâteau, le livre contient quelques illustrations, petit bonus que j’apprécie toujours notamment dans les livres jeunesse.

En conclusion, de la magie, une sorcière avec un lézard et une potentielle belle-mère qui pourrait s’apparenter à une sorcière, deux héroïnes fortes, de l’action, un air de conte… Voilà tout autant d’ingrédients qui offrent un joli instant de lecture.

[Krysta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can overlook the fact that the logic and the magic aren't explained very convincingly. However, there are several transitions missing, meaning the characters jump about with no explanation. And at one point a character seems to turn into an owl without explanation.

[Brooke Banks · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't finish it (found it really dull) and my daughter wouldn't start it (said it sounded boring). Off it goes to someone else, may they have better luck than us.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Erin Field · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Love My Mother

[Sharon Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

More Than Magic by Kathryn Lasky is a middle grade novel that combines a Cinderlla style story with a touch of television and computer coding. Ryder Holmsby is the same age as Rory, the popular TV cartoon character her animator parents created. Ryder and Rory are alike—bold and brave! But Ryder is a bit lonely: Mom passed away a couple of years ago, and Dad is dating a woman with snooty teenage daughters. Ryder doesn’t fit in with them at all. And then: Shazam! Rory jumps out of the TV into Ryder’s bedroom to tell her that the TV studio behind her parents’ show is trying to turn Rory into a dopey princess, no more adventures. She needs Ryder’s help! The two girls team up with a crew of animated and real-life friends to save the day in both worlds

More Than Magic is an interesting take on the Cinderella tale. Ryder's mother was a force larger than life, full of energy and creativity. When she died Ryder and her father lost some of their spark, and her father has fallen prey to a scheming woman looking for fame and fortune for her family. Part of her plan is to change Rory from a brave adventurer that resembles Ryder to a princess that is older, curvy, and more like one of her daughters. Family crisis and changes combined with the fight against those changes has Ryder and her friends journeying between the real world, the television, and the computers that create and store the television show. A variety of characters and adventures keep things interesting, but while we get a reasonably deep look as some of the characters I really never felt fully connected to any of them. The all felt like part of a show rather than the book in my hands. I am not sure what did not click, but while I loved the idea of the story and where it was going I never felt fully engaged.

More Than Magic is a good adventure for those of us who always enjoyed the rough and tumble part of an adventure more than the princess being rescued from the tower and getting married. Readers with a deep love of TV magic and how animation is done will have an extra interest and understanding of some of the adventure Ryder, Rory, and their friends undertake.

[Serenity · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley*

I'm really not sure what to think of this book. The premise is cool, but it just didn't gel with me. I read an ARC. It may be cleaned up a bit before it goes to print, but it just seemed kind of choppy. The characters would suddenly be in a different place without any real transition. I know it's geared toward a younger audience, but the characters were generally one-dimensional.

That said, it was a fun story about a spunky girl and her spunky digital counterpart. Younger girls looking for an adventure novel, and maybe a bit of wish-fulfillment, will probably enjoy it.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book that is full of adventure, action and girl power. Ryder is an 11-year-old girl who lost her beloved mother two years previously. Her parents created an animated television show called Super-Rory-Us starring an 11-year-old cartoon girl based on young Ryder. Ryder’s dad begins dating a woman with three teenaged girls, two of who tease Ryder. Even worse, there are plans to make the brave and adventurous Rory character into a princess! This goes against everything that Ryder’s mom wanted when she created the show. Fortunately, the worlds of Ryder and Rory converge and both girls work together to save Super-Rory-Us and maybe even Ryder’s family.

[Wensday · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series so much that I was excited for this book. The story line was good, but the writing did not flow as smoothly as I would have hoped. I caught myself having to re-read sections as I wasn't clear on what was happening. I really wish that ratings could be on a 10 point scale as this was more a 3.5, but not really a 4.

I received this ARC from Net Galley for my honest opinion.

[Christine, Lucifer's Daughter · Rating 5 out of 5]

It' a 3rd grade level book- But I rememebr checking this out when I was in like 5th grade. At the time, me and mom shared a library card, and so she actually ran out of renewals and had to pay fines for it cuz I wouldn't give it up till I finished it. XD

[T.J. Burns]

I received a copy of this book from Random House Children's Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Tia Garrigues · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story.

[Lorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Ryder Holmsby turns twelve she is now the same age as the beloved cartoon character created by her mother who passed away unexpectedly two years ago. Ryder takes comfort in watching old Rory episodes as her mother created Rory to be a strong, independent and resourceful heroine. When two things threaten her real world and the direction of Rory’s cartoon world, Ryder will have to be as strong heroine in both worlds as she carries out her rescue mission.

Kathryn Lasky has created two strong characters in Ryder and Rory that kids will identify with as they struggle to right what is wrong. The plot driven aspects of the story are both interesting and creative emphasizing working as a team, showing empathy for others, and being true to your beliefs. Middle grade readers will enjoy this title and hope that there will be adventures in the future. I would highly recommend this title for purchase by school and public libraries.

This book was provided by the publisher for professional review by SWON Libraries.