Magic Delivery

by Clete Barrett Smith, Clete Barrett Smith

Another humorous middle grade adventure from the author of the Intergalactic Bed & Breakfast series!​Nick is a natural born businessman. His schoolmates think he's a heartless hustler, but secretly he's just trying to earn money to help his mother, who works two jobs. Eager to be part of the popular circle, Nick wheedles an invitation to Hayley's upcoming Halloween party by agreeing to get her the answers to a test. His goofy friend Burger wants to be part of the deal too, and he nearly blows it for Nick, but desperate Hayley finally caves. Nick and Burger are riding home high on their success--even on their old, beat-up bikes--when they see a delivery van careen off the side of the road. The boys could have sworn that the driver was a bear . . . but that couldn't be right. Or could it? Turns out the van is carrying a load of costumes. With the driver nowhere in sight, Nick's first thought is about how much money he could get by selling the merchandise. Burger just wants to try them out, for fun. In the gorilla costume he chooses, Burger is very convincing. Is that just Burger fooling around, as usual, or is there something strange about these outfits? Once again Clete Barrett Smith makes a wild premise believable and funny in a story perfectly pitched to middle graders.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Magic

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2014

About the author

Clete Barrett Smith’s first novel, Aliens on Vacation, will be published by Disney-Hyperion Books for Children in May, 2011. A sequel, part of The Intergalactic Bed & Breakfast series for middle grade readers, will come out the following year. A lifelong resident of the Pacific Northwest, Clete taught English, Drama and Speech at the high school level for over a dozen years and has also worked in journalism. Clete received his MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts in January, 2010. He currently lives in Bellingham, Washington with his wife and two daughters.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A big thanks to NetGalley and Disney Book Group for allowing me to read this book!!! Look...I KNEW when I saw that Clete Barrett Smith was writing another book, I was going to purchase it for myself and our library. This book has everything in it to make it a favorite among kids for years to come!!! This is the perfect book to hook a reluctant reader, especially a boy reluctant reader. It is laugh out loud funny...I was a giggling mess a few times during the reading of this book. Good stuff...GREAT FUN!!! Keep writing, Mr. Smith...you have the gift!!!

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rereading, May 2015, for Guys/Girls Read end of year combo meeting.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nick and his best friend Burger are coasting their bicycles down a dangerous hill when a delivery truck suddenly pops out of a wormhole in front of them and swerves off the road, missing them by inches. Almost as weird as the wormhole bit is the fact that the truck seems to be driven by a bear. The boys go to investigate the wreck and find a surprisingly intact truck in the woods, guarded in fact by a bear, which chases them away - but not before they borrow a couple of items out of its cargo area. Their booty turns out to be a couple of high-end Halloween costumes - a full-body gorilla suit and a robot get-up. When the boys put them on, the costumes come vividly to life and the boys almost forget who they really are. Luckily, they're able to unzip before their backyard Movie Fight gets too far out of control.

Neat as these magic costumes are, problems soon develop. The driver of the truck is desperate to complete his first delivery, after inheriting the job from his father and a long line of ancestors. If he screws it up, the witch who employs him will ruin his whole family. But while the boys are willing to help him, the same can't be said for a wheelchair-bound high school bully and his football-player cronies. Dressed as a variety of monsters, they terrorize the Halloween party of the popular girl Nick likes. To stop them, two boys not otherwise known for their heroism must step into the role, costume and all, and face down a terrifying assortment of creatures who (unlike Nick and Burger) aren't held in check by compassion for others.

The book I kept finding myself comparing this to, for some reason, was Brandon Mull's The Candy Shop War. I guess there was something similar in their appeal, as stories about kids discovering magic of terrifying power hidden in a seemingly harmless item, like candy or a party costume, and then having to risk great danger to bring the magic back under control. It also made interesting use of the idea of a disabled bully who becomes most dangerous when he regains his lost ability. Fun use is also made of the theme of labor rights. Overall it was a very funny, magical, and exciting adventure with a gentle heart.

Clete Barrett Smith is also the author of the "Intergalactic Bed and Breakfast" series and the stand-alone teen novel Mr. 60%.

[Audrey · Rating 1 out of 5]

i never actually read this. it just showed up on my currently reading.:)

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if…

What if there were these magic Halloween costumes that actually changed you into whatever costume it was….

So…

Say you try on an ape costume – that’s what money man Nick’s friend, Burger does and suddenly he becomes a kind of smaller King Kong…

….and when Nick puts on this robot costume, he has these incredible high tech powers…

…and when the high school bullies get a hold of these…all craziness breaks out!

Join smart kid Nick who charges for helping get kids good grades – not always in a cool way….and his buddy Burger, as they encounter one of the nutsyest adventures you ever dreamed of…

….And just maybe….it could HAPPEN!

This is one of the craziest, most insane adventures you will ever read!

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nick Stringer is always looking for ways to make some extra money. He "helps" out the rich kids at school in a variety of ways that they can pay him for, from the answers on tests to his specifically missing questions so the overall curve is better. When he and his best friend are almost run over by a delivery truck, Nick thinks of it as another way to make some money. But what they don't realize is that it is Connor Flanagan's first day on the job, as a driver for a witch, using a series of wormholes that criss-cross the continent. The load he has to delivery is not just costumes, as Nick & Burger soon find out, but magical costumes. Can they help Connor make his delivery before the costumes fall into the wrong hands? A fun book, perfect for Halloween. Recommended for grades 4-8.

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh man, the middle-school kids are going to love this one! Magical Halloween costumes that really turn you into bears or ghosts or robots or gorillas? What kid wouldn't want to try them out? But Nick and Burger bite off a bit more than they can handle when they "borrow" some of these intriguing costumes.

I really enjoyed Magic Delivery; it's a fast-paced adventure that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Nick's a kid you can root for, a kid who's making the wrong choices for the right reasons. And his friend Burger is the fun-loving, goofball of a sidekick every serious kid needs.

Note: I received a digital galley of this book through NetGalley.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

twist in a twist, the young conniving kid and his partner, making money hand over fist helping other kids cheat in school yet never treating himself, -then he and his buddy chance upon a bear driving past, and crashing his truck full of magic costumes. (much better story than this disjointed telling.)

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

***I received an egalley of this title from Netgalley in return for an honest review.***

Fun middle grade novel about two friends who find a magical delivery truck and have to deal with the contents and trying to help the driver. I think grades 4 and up would enjoy this story set around Halloween.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cool concept sure to be a hit with kids. Plenty of suspense and action along with a little humor. My one concern is the character in the wheelchair and his reaction to the costume--it was actually quite sad.

[Corrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that unleashes your imagination. Who wouldn't like to think about the possibility of putting on a costume and actually becoming that character for awhile... Being able to fly, breathe fire, do magic, climb trees, shrink or grow, etc.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding "boy" type book. Magic, practical jokes,epic Gorilla/Robot battles..what is not to like?

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot Driven, Magical Realism, Halloween, Humorous

Funny, action-packed, boy main characters. I really liked this one

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this idea a lot but didn't love the writing so much. Probably best for 5th-7th grade.

[Nina Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Great story. Hilarious! There's got to be a sequel.