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Magic by the Book
Neither Anne nor Emily remembered choosing the book at the library, but when as they read it, the boundary between their world and the one described in the book disappears. Suddenly they are in Sherwood Forest, where they join Robin Hood's band. The further adventures that await Anne, Emily, and their brother, Will, are the kind they had always dreamed about. They had yearned for magic as strong as the spell cast by the stories they loved best. But then an uninvited guest turns up at their parents' garden party. The sinister man snatches the book with the intention of using its powers for evil, and the siblings find themselves engaged in a battle to regain possession of the book.
Richly detailed black-and-white drawings enliven this intriguing literary fantasy, which pays homage to some of the heroes of the author's childhood, among them E. Nesbit, Edward Eager, and Leo Tolstoy.
Richly detailed black-and-white drawings enliven this intriguing literary fantasy, which pays homage to some of the heroes of the author's childhood, among them E. Nesbit, Edward Eager, and Leo Tolstoy.
227 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2005
2 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 26, 2009
"Magic by the Book" is very poorly put-together, and seems to be more of what a starry-eyed adult wishes to read about in a children's adventure, than an actual adventure intended for children.
The characters are very unconvincing. We are told that the three siblings, ages 11, 9 and 6, all love to read. Great! What do they like to read? "War and Peace", and other classics that are not only not intended for children, but are far above their reading and comprehension level, and most likely out of their areas of interest. They also seem to have encyclopedic knowledge of poems and ballads.
But I could handle that, I suppose, if not for their sheer precociousness. Their dialog shows an intelligence that is very unrealistic for children. The kids are at their best when they intelligently recognize things that children might be able to figure out on their own, such as when they wonder if their being trapped in a book could result in their actions changing the story's outcome. They're at their worst, however, when they understand adult concepts, use their large knowledge of books and ballads and poems to drop references, and act like little adults. In particular, when discussing strategy to carry out rescue operations, any ability to relate to these characters as children completely disappears. Especially when six-year-old Jack, who is described as being unable to read, does it. Nothing could kill suspension of disbelief quicker than having a not-yet-literate six-year-old suddenly start understanding situations that older kids might not readily recognize.
The "little adults" comparison isn't helped by the unappealing illustrations. The kids look like dwarves or something! They have oddly shaped bodies and large heads with faces that do not look like children at all. The characters are so poorly drawn that one would have to wonder if it was intentional. Were the bad illustrations meant to evoke some sort of bizarre "old-fashioned" feel to the book? I sure hope not, since even old books have better illustrations than this.
The action is frequently stopped by excessive narrative and flashbacks. Constant flashbacks to earlier events in the kids' childhood are triggered by things that happen, but tend to bring the story to a grinding halt. This is especially bad when the flashback is not relevant to what's currently happening in the story. It almost feels like padding, along with the amount of detail put into little things such as the rituals of little Gnomblins and the little quirks of Robin Hood's gang. While such details could be interesting and help flesh the characters out, they are expanded upon in such a way that the flow of the story suffers.
It's a shame that so much could be so wrong with this book. The idea is pretty sound: three siblings end up getting sucked into a book that transports them into different adventures, each with a problem they are required to solve. There were even plot elements that I really liked too, such as when a mysterious man from the book steals the book to use it for his own ends. Unfortunately, all the bad buries the good and turns the whole thing into a painful, nearly unreadable mess.
If you happen to enjoy this book, more power to you. Though I have to wonder... are kids, or adults, its intended audience? Horrific illustrations, bad characterization and dialog, literary namedropping ("let's see what famous book I can reference next!"), mild swearing (!), and a narrative that frequently slows down and stops for no good reason, all have me wondering if this book was really intended for kids, or for adults who have a love of books and want to be brought back to them in some twisted misshapen attempt at nostalgia. Apparently either I'm the wrong kind of adult, or this just isn't a good book.
The characters are very unconvincing. We are told that the three siblings, ages 11, 9 and 6, all love to read. Great! What do they like to read? "War and Peace", and other classics that are not only not intended for children, but are far above their reading and comprehension level, and most likely out of their areas of interest. They also seem to have encyclopedic knowledge of poems and ballads.
But I could handle that, I suppose, if not for their sheer precociousness. Their dialog shows an intelligence that is very unrealistic for children. The kids are at their best when they intelligently recognize things that children might be able to figure out on their own, such as when they wonder if their being trapped in a book could result in their actions changing the story's outcome. They're at their worst, however, when they understand adult concepts, use their large knowledge of books and ballads and poems to drop references, and act like little adults. In particular, when discussing strategy to carry out rescue operations, any ability to relate to these characters as children completely disappears. Especially when six-year-old Jack, who is described as being unable to read, does it. Nothing could kill suspension of disbelief quicker than having a not-yet-literate six-year-old suddenly start understanding situations that older kids might not readily recognize.
The "little adults" comparison isn't helped by the unappealing illustrations. The kids look like dwarves or something! They have oddly shaped bodies and large heads with faces that do not look like children at all. The characters are so poorly drawn that one would have to wonder if it was intentional. Were the bad illustrations meant to evoke some sort of bizarre "old-fashioned" feel to the book? I sure hope not, since even old books have better illustrations than this.
The action is frequently stopped by excessive narrative and flashbacks. Constant flashbacks to earlier events in the kids' childhood are triggered by things that happen, but tend to bring the story to a grinding halt. This is especially bad when the flashback is not relevant to what's currently happening in the story. It almost feels like padding, along with the amount of detail put into little things such as the rituals of little Gnomblins and the little quirks of Robin Hood's gang. While such details could be interesting and help flesh the characters out, they are expanded upon in such a way that the flow of the story suffers.
It's a shame that so much could be so wrong with this book. The idea is pretty sound: three siblings end up getting sucked into a book that transports them into different adventures, each with a problem they are required to solve. There were even plot elements that I really liked too, such as when a mysterious man from the book steals the book to use it for his own ends. Unfortunately, all the bad buries the good and turns the whole thing into a painful, nearly unreadable mess.
If you happen to enjoy this book, more power to you. Though I have to wonder... are kids, or adults, its intended audience? Horrific illustrations, bad characterization and dialog, literary namedropping ("let's see what famous book I can reference next!"), mild swearing (!), and a narrative that frequently slows down and stops for no good reason, all have me wondering if this book was really intended for kids, or for adults who have a love of books and want to be brought back to them in some twisted misshapen attempt at nostalgia. Apparently either I'm the wrong kind of adult, or this just isn't a good book.
October 6, 2020
Well, I guess every generation needs a portal into a story fantasy. And the theme that we can learn about ourselves, our family, and our world, and about our relationships and our place in the world, by reading stories, is an important one. But this just doesn't feel enriching or interesting to me.
It seems to me as if the seed was the idea that Bernstein wanted to interest today's children specifically in Robin Hood and found gimmicks, concepts, and tropes from all other sorts of classic children's fantasy literature (Norton, Nesbit, and Eager are mentioned, as are *War and Peace,* the Moffats, and the Melendys for contrast) in order to piece this book together. And so, imo, it feels workmanlike.
I am bemused by the parents and thoroughly annoyed by the illustrations. The author does have a note about some of the sources.
It seems to me as if the seed was the idea that Bernstein wanted to interest today's children specifically in Robin Hood and found gimmicks, concepts, and tropes from all other sorts of classic children's fantasy literature (Norton, Nesbit, and Eager are mentioned, as are *War and Peace,* the Moffats, and the Melendys for contrast) in order to piece this book together. And so, imo, it feels workmanlike.
I am bemused by the parents and thoroughly annoyed by the illustrations. The author does have a note about some of the sources.
January 18, 2008
Imagine this: you and your siblings arrive home from the library and an unexpected surprise awaits you in the form of a magical book that appears in your basket. The magical book is a portal through which the children travel to the land of “the pages of their favorite books”. Suddenly, you are assisting Robin Hood on his adventurous travels, or you are lost in the Russian tale of War and Peace. Even the littlest sibling, brother Will, who loves nature is in a land of enormous insects and bugs. He is summoned there to help the Gnomblins regain control of their land.
A very creative and imaginative story, which is greatly enhanced by the most wonderful illustrations. Every fan of fantasy will be enthralled by this tale. A true delight!!!!
A very creative and imaginative story, which is greatly enhanced by the most wonderful illustrations. Every fan of fantasy will be enthralled by this tale. A true delight!!!!
August 10, 2016
Please, publishers! Spare us the fanfiction!
It's pretty hypocritical of me to say that, because I really prefer Edward Eager to E. Nesbit. But this book is awfully egregious (and doesn't have the redeeming qualities of the Eager books). The first chapter was so painfully imitative that I almost couldn't read it; after a couple of chapters it's not such a direct imitation, but it's definitely derivative, and nothing special, either.
It's pretty hypocritical of me to say that, because I really prefer Edward Eager to E. Nesbit. But this book is awfully egregious (and doesn't have the redeeming qualities of the Eager books). The first chapter was so painfully imitative that I almost couldn't read it; after a couple of chapters it's not such a direct imitation, but it's definitely derivative, and nothing special, either.
January 1, 2015
This is a fairy tale that incorporates many low fantasy traditions. The author gives a nod to her inspirations -- Edward Eager among them. It's very good and anyone who loves Eager should read it!! Wikipedia has a great description of this type of fantasy on its Edward Eager page.
May 11, 2009
A CHANCE TO MEET ROBIN HOOD: First of all, a novel that pays homage to E. Nesbit and Edward Eager catches my attention. In your mind's eye imagine going to the library, checking out a seemingly ordinary book---then discovering that it is extraordinary, unlike any book you've ever seen. You can enter the story. You can visit Sherwood Forest and be with Robin Hood. This story idea is brilliant; I tip my hat to Nina Bernstein. She did an incredible job with this. Buy this novel for the young people in your life, they'll love it.
December 15, 2012
Delightful. If you wished Edward Eager had written another book, this one is for you.
September 11, 2014
very entertaining. i love to read fantasy and this fit right in. very appropriate for children. i read excerpts to my children and they liked it too! thanks
October 7, 2025
Emily, Anne e Will estão de férias e cheios de livros emprestados da biblioteca para 'viajar' nesse período. Quando um livro misterioso aparece no fundo da cesta e eles o abrem, o sentido de 'viajar' enquanto lê muda completamente, já que as crianças se vêem literalmente dentro das aventuras de 'Robin Hood' e até 'Guerra e Paz'!
Uma história super inteligente e rica em detalhes! Confesso que fiquei um pouco cansada no final, mas valeu a leitura.
Uma história super inteligente e rica em detalhes! Confesso que fiquei um pouco cansada no final, mas valeu a leitura.
February 16, 2014
This is a fascinating tale of three children and a magical book that creates three different stories within the story. The narrative is very engaging and I loved the book recommendations. I really like how the author wove literary classics into the tale and really captured the essence of young, inquisitive, adventurous children.
I also love that the author showed the children enjoying some relaxation, time for reading and just playing during the summer. It is refreshing to see a family that spends so much time together, at home, instead of rushing from event to event.
Our oldest brought this book home from her elementary school library and I read it before she had a chance to. It's a fun, fast read and I highly recommend it for older elementary school-age children. I wasn't a big fan of the illustrations, but otherwise, I really enjoyed reading this book.
new word: syllabub
I also love that the author showed the children enjoying some relaxation, time for reading and just playing during the summer. It is refreshing to see a family that spends so much time together, at home, instead of rushing from event to event.
Our oldest brought this book home from her elementary school library and I read it before she had a chance to. It's a fun, fast read and I highly recommend it for older elementary school-age children. I wasn't a big fan of the illustrations, but otherwise, I really enjoyed reading this book.
new word: syllabub
February 20, 2013
This book was fun to read & I think it would appeal to the upper-elementary grades. I like the premise, though parts seem a little forced. The asides during the action where the sister considers if she is as pretty as her sister, if she fits in, or where the brother worries about his reading ability seemed a bit off to me. It's not that kids don't think about things like that, but in a tale which depends so much on suspending your disbelief those moments kind of rip me out of the fantasy mood. It's a fantasy, not an after school special.
The Robin Hood section was my favorite, probably because I just finished reading some Robin Hood with my kids last week. My 12 year old liked it and wants more.
The Robin Hood section was my favorite, probably because I just finished reading some Robin Hood with my kids last week. My 12 year old liked it and wants more.
February 24, 2019
So much promise here that doesn't quite get fulfilled. The opening, with the magical book that leads to Sherwood Forrest and an adventure with Robin and his Merry Men, is wonderful. So is the namedropping of so many other books and authors who have written similar books (like the Narnia books, or E Nesbit). Even the second adventure in an entirely new world is fun. But the third, in the world of War and Peace doesn't fit at all. It's not a story MG readers will know and without that they'll be disappointed.
November 14, 2010
This book had a lot of promise and I'm not sure if the reason I'm not shouting from the rooftops impressed is because the author made concessions for his audience or if was just the way she writes. The premise is a good one and the plot is measured out very well. I would've liked more depth to the storyling, though. It seemed a little hollow to me...
March 26, 2012
Imagine bringing home a book from the library that has no due date (remember the good old days when each and every book sported a little slip of paper which was stamped with a date due?), and has the power to pull you into adventures, until you are trapped in a snow and wolf filled world with no apparent escape.
June 23, 2016
I loved this book when I read it via audiobook as a child, though over the years some of the details have blurred together and gotten confused with Seven-Day Magic by Edward Eager.
March 18, 2013
Meh. I think it might be a good book for some kids. It was well-written; it just never grabbed me.
January 12, 2015
Another one of the best common magic books EVER! I just loved the idea of being able to get sucked into one of your favorite books. Like maybe this one. :)
January 7, 2015
This was a fun little book with a clever premise.
September 14, 2012
I wish the rules of the Book had been established a bit better, but a delightful story nonetheless!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews