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Fortune's Magic Farm
Everything changes when Isabelle discovers that she is the heir to Fortune's Farm, a wondrous place where the final remnants of magic grow. For as long as she can remember, ten-year-old Isabelle has dreamed of escaping her home in Runny Cove, a gray village where it never stops raining, and where she is forced to work at Mr. Supreme's Umbrella Factory.
Journeying across the ocean, Isabelle finds a sunny new home filled with magical delights, including Curative Cherry trees that can heal all kinds of sickness, and Floating Fronds that make her fly. But Isabelle still feels the call to return to Runny Cove and use the secrets of the farm to stop the rain. With the magic of Fortune's Farm behind her, will Isabell be strong enough to bring back the sun and stop the despicable Mr. Supreme? From the author of Smells Like Dog comes a magical journey about loyalty, family, and the magic within.
Journeying across the ocean, Isabelle finds a sunny new home filled with magical delights, including Curative Cherry trees that can heal all kinds of sickness, and Floating Fronds that make her fly. But Isabelle still feels the call to return to Runny Cove and use the secrets of the farm to stop the rain. With the magic of Fortune's Farm behind her, will Isabell be strong enough to bring back the sun and stop the despicable Mr. Supreme? From the author of Smells Like Dog comes a magical journey about loyalty, family, and the magic within.
288 pages, Paperback
First published February 6, 2009
26 people are currently reading
876 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Selfors
67 books844 followersSuzanne Selfors lives on an island near Seattle where it rains all the time, which is why she tends to write about cloudy, moss-covered, green places.
She's married, has two kids, and writes full time.
Her favorite writers are Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Dickens, and most especially, Roald Dahl.
Please visit her at www.suzanneselfors.com to learn more about her books.
She's married, has two kids, and writes full time.
Her favorite writers are Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Dickens, and most especially, Roald Dahl.
Please visit her at www.suzanneselfors.com to learn more about her books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
February 21, 2009
Roald Dahl was a troublemaker. Did he really have to be so original? So interesting? Did his books have to fall into such a distinctive age range? And did he have to be the kind of author that would inspire parents to come up to reference desks across the country asking desperately, "My kid only reads Roald Dahl. What do you have that's just like him?" Honey, you are barking up the wrong tree if you think that anyone could replicate Dahl's style. He was one of those rare authors to tread the line between early chapter books and older novels. His sense of fun was light-hearted and impossible to copy. Few authors have ever come close to being compared to Dahl, and nobody has his distinctive flavor. One of the very few authors to do so would have to be Suzanne Selfors. She doesn't really have that streak of darkness that was so distinctly Dahlian, but she certainly knows how to tell a story and tell it well. Slugs and marmots. Magical apples and dastardly foes. Fortune's Magic Farm follows hot on the heels of Selfors' last novel To Catch a Mermaid and shares that book's gleeful storytelling and delightful characters. A pure pleasure to read, for child and adult alike.
When you live in Runny Cove you get used to certain things. The fact that it's always raining, and always damp and cold. The fact that the only two occupations in town involve working in the local factory or acting as a landlord or landlady. Even though she's just a kid, Isabelle has to work in the factory too to support herself and her Grandma Maxine. Not that Maxine's her real grandmother. Actually Isabelle was abandoned at the boarding house years ago as a baby and never knew her real parents. Yet when she and two other ten-year-old kids in town suddenly are given delicious apples by three mysterious animals, Isabelle gets sucked into an adventure to find out her true past. But what happens when you meet your real family only find out that one of them doesn't even want you?
One of the things I like about her books is that Selfors doesn't go half ways when she describes something. She has this ability to tap into a kid-friendly vibe and really draw her descriptions in livid detail. Right from the start we learn that Isabelle's village, "was perpetually cast in a depressing shade of sludge - the same color as the gunky stuff that clogs up bathroom sinks." Her words are accessible, never relying on self-conscious long-winded descriptions or overly extensive passages to convey what it is she has to say. There's something very direct about the way in which Selfors writes. It's as if she knows exactly how to speak to her child readers. My co-worker's son had read To Catch a Mermaid and enjoyed it in the past, so I asked that he take a look at this book as well to give me a sense of what he thought. The result? He loved it. Absolutely adored it. Thought it was even better than her first book. Though you'll have to help kids to discover it, once they try its first page they will definitely be hooked.
There are so many books out there in which the hero or heroine discovers that they were abandoned as a baby because they are "special" in some way. And the list of ways in which they are special are pretty rote. When the child is capable of otherworldly abilities then they are A) A wizard, B) A half-god, C) A fairy or D) A combination of one or more of the above. This book is slightly different. Sure, kids will enjoy trying to decipher the clues to Isabelle's mysterious background, but the abilities that show that she is special seem pretty low-key at first. She grows mushrooms between her toes and also has impossibly warm hands at all times. What does that mean? It means that when you find out the truth to Isabelle's past it isn't the same as any other book. It keeps the kids guessing and, in the process, keeps them reading.
I'm going to insert a small SPOILER ALERT here for the remainder of this paragraph, particularly for those of you familiar with the movie, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. There is a moment near the end of this book that reminded me hugely of Willy Wonka. It's strange that I would say this, mentioning Dahl as often as I have in this review. I'm beginning to sound like a broken record. However, if you read this book and get to that same part in the movie, you will understand what I mean. I don't think it's a flaw, necessarily, but it certainly does account for a sense of déjà vu.
So when you are asked to recommend someone like Roald Dahl, first you need to set them straight. There is nobody like Roald Dahl. That would be like someone asking for an author exactly like Shel Silverstein. Can't be done. However, you may also reassure them that all is not lost. Should they want something along the same lines as Dahl, combining outright fantasy with brave heroes and horrible villains, there is someone who fits the bill. Suzanne Selfors is still flying below the radar in terms of public acclaim but it's only a matter of time before she's discovered and her books enter the public consciousness. Fortune's Magic Farm. A small treasure, waiting for kids to discover it.
Ages 8-12.
When you live in Runny Cove you get used to certain things. The fact that it's always raining, and always damp and cold. The fact that the only two occupations in town involve working in the local factory or acting as a landlord or landlady. Even though she's just a kid, Isabelle has to work in the factory too to support herself and her Grandma Maxine. Not that Maxine's her real grandmother. Actually Isabelle was abandoned at the boarding house years ago as a baby and never knew her real parents. Yet when she and two other ten-year-old kids in town suddenly are given delicious apples by three mysterious animals, Isabelle gets sucked into an adventure to find out her true past. But what happens when you meet your real family only find out that one of them doesn't even want you?
One of the things I like about her books is that Selfors doesn't go half ways when she describes something. She has this ability to tap into a kid-friendly vibe and really draw her descriptions in livid detail. Right from the start we learn that Isabelle's village, "was perpetually cast in a depressing shade of sludge - the same color as the gunky stuff that clogs up bathroom sinks." Her words are accessible, never relying on self-conscious long-winded descriptions or overly extensive passages to convey what it is she has to say. There's something very direct about the way in which Selfors writes. It's as if she knows exactly how to speak to her child readers. My co-worker's son had read To Catch a Mermaid and enjoyed it in the past, so I asked that he take a look at this book as well to give me a sense of what he thought. The result? He loved it. Absolutely adored it. Thought it was even better than her first book. Though you'll have to help kids to discover it, once they try its first page they will definitely be hooked.
There are so many books out there in which the hero or heroine discovers that they were abandoned as a baby because they are "special" in some way. And the list of ways in which they are special are pretty rote. When the child is capable of otherworldly abilities then they are A) A wizard, B) A half-god, C) A fairy or D) A combination of one or more of the above. This book is slightly different. Sure, kids will enjoy trying to decipher the clues to Isabelle's mysterious background, but the abilities that show that she is special seem pretty low-key at first. She grows mushrooms between her toes and also has impossibly warm hands at all times. What does that mean? It means that when you find out the truth to Isabelle's past it isn't the same as any other book. It keeps the kids guessing and, in the process, keeps them reading.
I'm going to insert a small SPOILER ALERT here for the remainder of this paragraph, particularly for those of you familiar with the movie, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. There is a moment near the end of this book that reminded me hugely of Willy Wonka. It's strange that I would say this, mentioning Dahl as often as I have in this review. I'm beginning to sound like a broken record. However, if you read this book and get to that same part in the movie, you will understand what I mean. I don't think it's a flaw, necessarily, but it certainly does account for a sense of déjà vu.
So when you are asked to recommend someone like Roald Dahl, first you need to set them straight. There is nobody like Roald Dahl. That would be like someone asking for an author exactly like Shel Silverstein. Can't be done. However, you may also reassure them that all is not lost. Should they want something along the same lines as Dahl, combining outright fantasy with brave heroes and horrible villains, there is someone who fits the bill. Suzanne Selfors is still flying below the radar in terms of public acclaim but it's only a matter of time before she's discovered and her books enter the public consciousness. Fortune's Magic Farm. A small treasure, waiting for kids to discover it.
Ages 8-12.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2009
This is a sweet story about finding one's place, about the power of magic to heal as well as to astonish--and the book packs a pretty powerful, but subtle, green punch, too.
Isabelle lives with her ailing grandmother in a town "the color of sadness" and spends her days working in an umbrella factory owned by the meanest megalomaniac this side of the Grinch.
Isabelle knows nothing of her (slowly revealed) magical origins, only that she was found on a doorstep as a baby. The woman who took her in, Grandma maxine, can tell her nothing of her parents. Rather than fret over the lack of information, Isabelle takes her mysterious origins as a sign that she is "extra special"--and, of course, she is.
Her journey to discover the happy place she calls Nowhere is as full of light and color as her first ten years in Runny Cove were gray and miserable--and the outcome of her adventure for the dreary town of her childhood is as satisfying as Isabelle's own transformation.
The book's black and white illustrations by Catia Chien are very effectively used in a lovely book trailer you can see here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FsRq_...
Isabelle lives with her ailing grandmother in a town "the color of sadness" and spends her days working in an umbrella factory owned by the meanest megalomaniac this side of the Grinch.
Isabelle knows nothing of her (slowly revealed) magical origins, only that she was found on a doorstep as a baby. The woman who took her in, Grandma maxine, can tell her nothing of her parents. Rather than fret over the lack of information, Isabelle takes her mysterious origins as a sign that she is "extra special"--and, of course, she is.
Her journey to discover the happy place she calls Nowhere is as full of light and color as her first ten years in Runny Cove were gray and miserable--and the outcome of her adventure for the dreary town of her childhood is as satisfying as Isabelle's own transformation.
The book's black and white illustrations by Catia Chien are very effectively used in a lovely book trailer you can see here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FsRq_...
March 30, 2009
Fresh and funny. I loved it and my guess is that my 9 year old will enjoy it too. A nice pick for the sort of kids who like Eva Ibbotsen's fantasies.
3/29 I brought it home for my daughter and she not only decided to read it, she's read 5 chapters. This from the kid who tends to read books one chapter per day makes me feel triumphant!
3/29 I brought it home for my daughter and she not only decided to read it, she's read 5 chapters. This from the kid who tends to read books one chapter per day makes me feel triumphant!
September 27, 2016
Although this is a shorter book aimed for younger readers, I still loved it! It seemed like I was really experiencing the the story firsthand! I would definitely recommend this to people looking for something to read!
May 15, 2015
I loved it when I was younger.
August 10, 2025
My 9 year old flew through this, all the while telling me how excited she was for me to read it too. Sharing books ☺️❤️🎉
January 8, 2023
I read this one with my daughters (10 and 7). Both of them gave it five stars, and we really enjoyed going through it together. More than once, my girls didn’t want to stop reading, as the chapters regularly end on cliffhangers. There’s also a strong sense of mystery and wonder, especially in the early going, as Isabelle is quite a unique child with strange abilities and a curious mind. That curiosity transferred to my daughters and me, as we learned more about barnacles in our own time, as the arthropods are mentioned more than once in the story.
This does feel like a Roald Dahl book with its colourful cast of honest and pure-hearted children clashing with sour and mean-spirited adults. The reason I’m giving it four and not five stars is that I didn’t particularly like the twist/reveal near the end, which made sense but felt needlessly elaborate. My ten-year-old somehow predicted it (she swears she didn’t read ahead!), and I didn’t even have it on the table as a possibility.
That said, perhaps adults should give children more credit and attention after all. Their honest eyes and hearts can still teach us valuable things, and see more than we give them credit for.
This does feel like a Roald Dahl book with its colourful cast of honest and pure-hearted children clashing with sour and mean-spirited adults. The reason I’m giving it four and not five stars is that I didn’t particularly like the twist/reveal near the end, which made sense but felt needlessly elaborate. My ten-year-old somehow predicted it (she swears she didn’t read ahead!), and I didn’t even have it on the table as a possibility.
That said, perhaps adults should give children more credit and attention after all. Their honest eyes and hearts can still teach us valuable things, and see more than we give them credit for.
November 28, 2024
I liked how the story all came together in the end.
June 3, 2019
Fortune’s Magic Farm is a book that I remember reading when it first came out. I read it, enjoyed it, and returned it to the library. I then lived for around a decade with a small but fierce memory of a middle grade book about a garden that was really good for what it was. I looked through the middle grade sections of multiple libraries hoping that for some reason it would just stick out to me and I would be able to find it again and reread it. But alas! My searching lead me nowhere and I felt as if I was doomed to never find the book again.
Yet, one day I had wandered over to my friend’s house and lo and behold her younger sister had left the book on the bookshelf. I was amazed! My search was finally over, and I had the opportunity to reread the book I had a slight memory of. The book I felt did live up to my memory of the book. It was a cute whimsical tale about plants. It tells a tale of coming of age but not of the coming of age you see 15-18 year-old teenagers experiencing in books but instead the coming of age that happens when you are no longer a child and move to the age of teenagerhood, the age where you start to become an adult.
Yet, one day I had wandered over to my friend’s house and lo and behold her younger sister had left the book on the bookshelf. I was amazed! My search was finally over, and I had the opportunity to reread the book I had a slight memory of. The book I felt did live up to my memory of the book. It was a cute whimsical tale about plants. It tells a tale of coming of age but not of the coming of age you see 15-18 year-old teenagers experiencing in books but instead the coming of age that happens when you are no longer a child and move to the age of teenagerhood, the age where you start to become an adult.
November 24, 2014
My eleven year old daughter insisted that I read this, her current favorite book. The story features Isabella, and orphan working in an umbrella factory in a town where it's constantly raining. After an encounter with a remarkable sea creature, Isabella comes to learn that there is more to life than drudgery. Secret after secret unfolds until she finds out her parentage and her destiny.
Like other coming-of-age novels featuring young women, the novel roots itself in images of fecundity. It's whimsical and engaging, but part of the denouement borrows a bit too much from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Oh, the anxiety of influence. Nevertheless, I enjoyed tagging along with Isabella as she discovered her gardens and the gardens of her ancestors. And I got to peek into the heart of my own tender-hearted little girl.
Like other coming-of-age novels featuring young women, the novel roots itself in images of fecundity. It's whimsical and engaging, but part of the denouement borrows a bit too much from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Oh, the anxiety of influence. Nevertheless, I enjoyed tagging along with Isabella as she discovered her gardens and the gardens of her ancestors. And I got to peek into the heart of my own tender-hearted little girl.
October 1, 2013
Fun fun fun. My granddaughter loves this book and recommends it to her friends, so I had to see what the fuss was about.
Great color imagery, strong writing.
Magic abounds and good triumphs. What more can you want from a book?
Great color imagery, strong writing.
Magic abounds and good triumphs. What more can you want from a book?
August 15, 2010
Good story line. Well done. Would keep elementary interest. Very funny in parts. Lots of discussion could come from this book.
Read
April 19, 2015I certainly hope this isn't how they treat the employees at all umbrella factories. I'd rather take to being soaked to the skin if this is the case.
Read
December 29, 2021Currently reading out loud with kid, and while I'm enjoying the very matilda-style gloom, I'm really beginning to tire of the fatphobia. *sigh* We'll see how it goes.
February 10, 2019
I bought this book for my niece for her 8th birthday, after thoroughly perusing the middle grade section at B&N. The tricky part is that she’s an advanced reader, but many books had content an 8-year-old wouldn’t relate to. But the books targeted for her age aren’t challenging enough anymore.
I found a few promising books, but wanted to read them first.
At 300 pages and with no illustrations, this is going to be a big jump for her. But I thought it was well-written, imaginative and engaging. I think she’ll enjoy it.
The story follows a 10-year-old orphan named Isabelle who lives in a boarding house with her invalid adoptive grandmother in a town where it always rains. Isabelle works in an umbrella factory, along with everyone else in town. It’s a very sad place. But one day, she is given an apple in a very unusual way, and it leads her on an adventure to discover her real family, as well as her own magic powers.
In terms of structure, much of the book is about world-building. The first third establishes the world Isabella knows. There’s then a long journey to about the halfway point, and another third establishes her new world and fills in the blanks of her past.
The tone feels reminiscent of Roald Dahl’s work, though unlike the title character of Matilda, Isabelle never retaliates against the people who are unkind to her. Rather, she finds inner strength and rises above the pettiness and cruelty, focusing instead on helping the people she cares about.
Lexile Level: 680
I found a few promising books, but wanted to read them first.
At 300 pages and with no illustrations, this is going to be a big jump for her. But I thought it was well-written, imaginative and engaging. I think she’ll enjoy it.
The story follows a 10-year-old orphan named Isabelle who lives in a boarding house with her invalid adoptive grandmother in a town where it always rains. Isabelle works in an umbrella factory, along with everyone else in town. It’s a very sad place. But one day, she is given an apple in a very unusual way, and it leads her on an adventure to discover her real family, as well as her own magic powers.
In terms of structure, much of the book is about world-building. The first third establishes the world Isabella knows. There’s then a long journey to about the halfway point, and another third establishes her new world and fills in the blanks of her past.
The tone feels reminiscent of Roald Dahl’s work, though unlike the title character of Matilda, Isabelle never retaliates against the people who are unkind to her. Rather, she finds inner strength and rises above the pettiness and cruelty, focusing instead on helping the people she cares about.
Lexile Level: 680
September 26, 2025
Isabelle lives in a place where the sun never shines, toiling away at an umbrella factory. Everything is about as bad as it can get, but then Isabelle meets a stranger and eats and apple. He convinces her that she's always been right: she is someone special. She just never realized how special until he takes her to Fortune's Magic Farm.
I admit to feeling a little let down that the portion of this book that takes place at the magic farm is less than a quarter of the story. I love the magical plants and silly animals that populate these pages, and I wish we could have seen more of them and less of the abusive conversations that fill up the beginning half of the book. But I can still appreciate the found family aspect and the recollection that nature is powerful and wonderful.
I admit to feeling a little let down that the portion of this book that takes place at the magic farm is less than a quarter of the story. I love the magical plants and silly animals that populate these pages, and I wish we could have seen more of them and less of the abusive conversations that fill up the beginning half of the book. But I can still appreciate the found family aspect and the recollection that nature is powerful and wonderful.
December 11, 2019
This was a pretty cute somewhat silly story.
The author seemed to be making an attempt at local dialect, but all they did was add a few "Yer"s in without any other phonetic spellings or word-choice / syntax to go along with it. I think it would have been better if they had done some more editing and either really added the accent in, or taken it out. If I remember correctly, it was just one or two of the characters that spoke that way, while it was made clear that it was a small town, and everyone had been there forever and no one new ever moved in or visited, so it seems like it would have been more likely for everyone in the town to have a similar accent.
The author seemed to be making an attempt at local dialect, but all they did was add a few "Yer"s in without any other phonetic spellings or word-choice / syntax to go along with it. I think it would have been better if they had done some more editing and either really added the accent in, or taken it out. If I remember correctly, it was just one or two of the characters that spoke that way, while it was made clear that it was a small town, and everyone had been there forever and no one new ever moved in or visited, so it seems like it would have been more likely for everyone in the town to have a similar accent.
July 19, 2018
Fortune's Magic Farm... a delightful sensory journey for an orphaned girl living in a group home, hoping to discover where she came from. Scenery is described with such vivid detail, it is easy to feel how the characters feel and see what they see in the drab and cloudy Runny Cove. It unfortunately felt that Isabelle, the orphaned girl, took a back seat ride the entire story, and didn't fully participate in the adventure. She sat back in awe of her surroundings, but never initiated action.
June 7, 2021
I read this when I was much younger and randomly thought of it again. This book is a hub of joy for me, thank you author for writing it!!! I love Isabelle’s strange and new adventure, it was a mental refuge for me same as all my other favorite books. Everything in this book is uniquely amazing and I just completely love it, so thank you!!! :)
May 17, 2017
I read this at the perfect time in my life! So long ago now....
It was SO CUTE! It has all the elements of a good story: character development, intense plot, lovable and hatable characters, hidden backstories, and, of course, the great best friend.
This is a great book for budding readers.
It was SO CUTE! It has all the elements of a good story: character development, intense plot, lovable and hatable characters, hidden backstories, and, of course, the great best friend.
This is a great book for budding readers.
October 9, 2018
This fresh, funny, magical fantasy will have readers laughing out loud, ranting at the bad guys - there are several - sitting on the edge of their seats, and rooting for Isabelle, a courageous heroine with a lot of heart. A great choice for a read-aloud or book club.
November 20, 2019
A fun, uncomplicated read. You could see the twists coming from a ways back (compared to other titles in the genre which have been quite the ride). But for juvenile literature, it’s perfect for a young reader.
August 27, 2024
The CUTEST children’s book.
I read this to my oldest when he was about 10, and he loved it. Then I read it to my middle child this summer.
Such a cute book, with notes of hope, goodwill, and anticipation for good things to come.
I loved the imagination in this book!
I read this to my oldest when he was about 10, and he loved it. Then I read it to my middle child this summer.
Such a cute book, with notes of hope, goodwill, and anticipation for good things to come.
I loved the imagination in this book!
January 29, 2018
Loved this book as a kid, great plot and easy to follow story
July 26, 2018
It's so hard for me to try and enjoy this book, I just want to bash Mama Lu's face into the wall!
August 24, 2018
B. fiction, children's fiction, grade 5, fantasy, adventure, seeds
December 28, 2018
If you like Dahl's books you will enjoy this story!
January 7, 2019
This was a 4.5 / 5 star read for me. Super cute with lots of heart and whimsy.
February 25, 2019
It’s awesome. It’s a magical book. You should read it because you will like it. You will like it a lot. I really liked Isabel. She is cool.
June 5, 2020
Sad, smiles, surprises. Isabelle in unhealthy rain, boarding house, umbrella factory, learns a tender plants camouflage vines, cherry cures, on private sunny family island.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews