Hand-Me-Down Magic #4: Mysterious Tea Set: A Wholesome Chapter Book About Best-Friend Cousins Solving Family Mysteries for Children

Hand-Me-Down Magic #4

by Corey Ann Haydu, Luisa Uribe (Illustrator)

There’s a mystery brewing in Abuelita’s shop in the fourth and final Hand-Me-Down Magic book. The complete series is perfect for fans of Ivy and Bean   and Dory Fantasmagory , with adorable illustrations and short, easy-to-read chapters. Del finds a very beautiful tea set hidden deep in the Curious Cousins Secondhand Shoppe—but something about it doesn’t add up. It’s missing some teacups, and the hand-painted design on it looks very familiar. The tea set must be connected to their family. Alma and Del are excited to solve the case of the mysterious tea set, but their questions (“Who painted it?” “Is it magical?”) only get an Abuelita shrug and a confusing answer. Still, with determination, neighborhood magic, and a little help from Evie, the best-friend-cousins will learn the story behind the tea set as they work to make it whole once more. Corey Ann Haydu’s writing is filled with tender moments, wholesome humor, and magical detail—reminiscent of literary icons like Beverly Clearly, Marla Frazee, and Katherine Applegate. This chapter book series is pitch perfect for kids reading at this young level. And Luisa Uribe's stunning black-and-white illustrations capture the warmth and unique personality of each character. Enjoy the whole

Genres: Magic, Childrens, Fantasy

128 pages, Paperback

Published January 11, 2022

Reviews

[Ellen]

I found the cover of this book adorable and intriguing when it showed up at our yearly book fair. Unfortunately, it seems to be part of a new fad in early chapter book series where the author fails to give any background details. The upshot is, I started with book 4 and very little about the set up - the cousins, their second hand store and the magic their family has some sort of relationship with - made much sense. And that's a shame, because I think I would have liked the book a lot more if I had more of a clue.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fourth in the series.
The girls learn that even adults they love can make mistakes. When Del has to find tea sets for a customer, she finds a beautiful old one that is missing the cups. Alma and she feel a connection to it as the artwork is their own sobbing willow tree. Their Abuelita is surprisingly quiet and uninterested in solving this mystery so they do it on their own. This launches a scavenger hunt and they find seven of the cups. While playing at June's home, the eighth one is found and sets off other concerns. When they agree to hold a tea party with the eight cups, the magic comes through and a long time broken friendship is healed.
Haydu continues to develop these characters and allows readers to know them better and to be part of solving the magical mysteries.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss or Netgalley