What do you think?
Rate this book
Magical Mix-Ups #1
Hamster Magic
Lynne Jonell, the popular author of Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat, makes her Stepping Stones debut with a high-spirited tale of mixed-up magic and wishes gone wrong.
Celia Willow is the baby of the family, and she’s sick of it. She's sick of being younger and smaller. She's sick of never being taken seriously. So when Celia's hamster surprises the Willows with his wish-granting powers, she blurts out her deepest desire.
The problem? Celia didn't exactly wish to be furry .
Her big brothers and sister can't let their parents see her like this, but they only have one night to fix things. How can Abner, Tate, and Derek reverse something as powerful as hamster magic . . . before breakfast?
Hamster Magic is on the Texas Bluebonnet Masterlist for 2012-2013 and was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award.
From the Hardcover edition.
Celia Willow is the baby of the family, and she’s sick of it. She's sick of being younger and smaller. She's sick of never being taken seriously. So when Celia's hamster surprises the Willows with his wish-granting powers, she blurts out her deepest desire.
The problem? Celia didn't exactly wish to be furry .
Her big brothers and sister can't let their parents see her like this, but they only have one night to fix things. How can Abner, Tate, and Derek reverse something as powerful as hamster magic . . . before breakfast?
Hamster Magic is on the Texas Bluebonnet Masterlist for 2012-2013 and was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award.
From the Hardcover edition.
112 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 2010
20 people are currently reading
270 people want to read
About the author
Lynne Jonell
20 books90 followersLynne Jonell is an author (and occasional illustrator) of sixteen books for children, from picture books to novels for ages 8-12, all with an element of fantasy: magical hamsters, talking cats, tiny planes with a secret fuel, rodents with special powers, and more. Her novel Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat won the Minnesota Book Award; her latest book, The Sign of the Cat, is a swashbuckling sea adventure. Coming in 2018 is Far Sight, Deep Time, a time-travel novel set at her ancestral castle in Scotland.
Her books have received starred reviews in Horn Book, Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Sesame Street Parents, and have been published in nine languages. She teaches writing at the Loft Literary Center, is married and has two sons, and lives in Plymouth, Minnesota.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/lynnej...
Her books have received starred reviews in Horn Book, Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Sesame Street Parents, and have been published in nine languages. She teaches writing at the Loft Literary Center, is married and has two sons, and lives in Plymouth, Minnesota.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/lynnej...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
July 17, 2012
This is a cute tale of a young girl, named Celia, who is tired of being the smallest sibling out of four in the family. The children notice the family pet "Hammy," which happens to be the family pet is missing they immediately blame the youngest, Celia. Celia goes searching for Hammy and comes across more than she ever imagined. Hammy is not your ordinary Hamster, he can talk and has the power to grant a wish. When the children discover Celia is telling the truth, they all can't wait to have a wish come true. However it isn't just any wish it has to be a hamster wish. This means it has to be wish that a hamster would wish for. While they are trying to decide what their one wish is going to be Celia blurts out her wish. Things do not work out the way Celia had hoped. Her brothers and sister must work together before their parents find out what they are up to.
This story is a nice suspenseful story for young reders who are more advanced with their reading skills and still age appropriate. It is a nice read aloud for younger students as well. I read it to my first grader and pre-k son and they both enjoyed it.
This story is a nice suspenseful story for young reders who are more advanced with their reading skills and still age appropriate. It is a nice read aloud for younger students as well. I read it to my first grader and pre-k son and they both enjoyed it.
January 10, 2013
12-14-12 So far I think Hamster Magic by Lynne Jonell is a pretty good book because the characters are described well and you can feel what they are thinking. It is about a family called the Willow family who moves and the kids don't want to move. They have a hamster that was magic but they didn't know it was magic until it talks and turns Celia, the youngest, into a giant hamster. The kids have to find the great hamster so he can turn Celia back before the parents find out. I would rate this book 4 stars because it is not as exciting as a 5 star book but it is still pretty good.
May 5, 2020
It is a short childish book, but who dosent need a little of that in their life, I enjoyed it
March 6, 2011
The Willow family has moved and the children aren't too thrilled about it. They now live in a house out in the country where there is no other children to play with.
And the only pet they have is a hamster. It's actually the third one they've had and if they don't take care of this hamster there will be no chance for a dog.
The youngest child, Celia, notices there is something very different about this hamster from the previous ones. And when the hamster escapes they find out just how different he is. This hamster grants wishes!
But, while deciding on what to wish for, Celia gets tired of being ignored and wishes to be big. However, the wish doesn't quite turn out how she wanted it to.
This was a really fun and delightful book. Although I know this is for kids, it kept me reading and wanting to know what happens next. I really enjoyed this and I'm sure any kids would enjoy it as well. Magical, talking hamsters and wishes gone wrong, what more could you ask for?
And the only pet they have is a hamster. It's actually the third one they've had and if they don't take care of this hamster there will be no chance for a dog.
The youngest child, Celia, notices there is something very different about this hamster from the previous ones. And when the hamster escapes they find out just how different he is. This hamster grants wishes!
But, while deciding on what to wish for, Celia gets tired of being ignored and wishes to be big. However, the wish doesn't quite turn out how she wanted it to.
This was a really fun and delightful book. Although I know this is for kids, it kept me reading and wanting to know what happens next. I really enjoyed this and I'm sure any kids would enjoy it as well. Magical, talking hamsters and wishes gone wrong, what more could you ask for?
April 1, 2024
A family with four children have moved into a new house in the country. They find a hamster and make it their pet, but Celia, the youngest, loses the hamster again. Feeling left out after her siblings admonish her, she wishes to be big, only to find that the surrounding countryside is steeped in magic, but a kind of animal magic — she turns big, all right, but big for a hamster. She is transformed into a talking hamster the size of a dog. So all four kids must venture out to meet the Great Hamster and wish for Celia to be returned to normal before their parents notice!
I read this to my class this year, the theme being magical transformations. I found this to be a silly and light tale, pleasant enough, with the usual tacked-on lessons about the importance of cooperating and persevering. The funny descriptions of Celia, unable to stop herself from scurrying around and gnawing, make the story appealing and memorable.
I read this to my class this year, the theme being magical transformations. I found this to be a silly and light tale, pleasant enough, with the usual tacked-on lessons about the importance of cooperating and persevering. The funny descriptions of Celia, unable to stop herself from scurrying around and gnawing, make the story appealing and memorable.
April 25, 2012
At first this book did not interest me but I read it because it is a Bluebonnet book. It was a very sweet story about a family that always picks on the little sister. She ends up as an over sized hamster! Her siblings freak out and search to find out how to turn her back into a little girl before their parents find out. Great read aloud for 3rd!
March 14, 2012
(3.5 stars)
Celia is tired of being the youngest person in the family. So she makes a wish to be bigger. Her hamster surprises her by granting her wish. But now she is larger not as a person, but as a hamster!
Celia is tired of being the youngest person in the family. So she makes a wish to be bigger. Her hamster surprises her by granting her wish. But now she is larger not as a person, but as a hamster!
November 22, 2015
This was a great read-aloud book for my 7 year old daughter. We read about a chapter a night. We loved Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by the same author and we're excited to read the other books in both these series.
March 7, 2016
This short and simple tale is exactly what you'd expect. Unfortunately, the target audience seems to be 1st graders reading above grade level. It's great for them, not so great for 3rd and 4th graders struggling to catch up with their peers.
November 17, 2024
A 7 chapter suspenseful story about children encountering magic. I find books about siblings that feel real but don’t make the children mean a rare find, and this book did a great job with that. This was a great choice for us as K got her first hamster recently, and there were lots of hamster care details though out. Felt a little bit of Nesbit and Lewis as much as you can in a short, easy reader.
September 20, 2010
Any reader of fantasy and fairy tales knows that if one is granted a magic wish, one must be very careful what one wishes for! Try to quell the greed (or you might end up with sausages stuck to your nose) and the desperate desire to thwart death (in fact, just don't make wishes with monkeys' paws) - and always, always think before you wish.
The four Willow siblings have just moved to a house in the country for a year and are feeling just a little miffed about it. It might be better if they had a dog, but their parents have made it clear that they can't have a big animal until they can learn to take care of a small one. Unfortunately, their track record is not great, seeing as how the kids are now on their third hamster (Hammy the Third), and he has now escaped only days after they discovered him in their new cellar, chowing down on dog food.
Not only does Hammy turn up again, but he turns out to be a talking, wish-granting hamster. And Celia, the youngest Willow, makes a rash wish that turns her into a hamster the size of a large dog. During their night-time visit to the Great Hamster, who just might be able to reverse the spell, the Willow kids learn that the land all around their new house is very unique indeed, as are the burrowing animals that inhabit it.
This is a short and breezy fantasy a la Edward Eager, perfect for kids who have just learned to read with confidence and want a "real" chapter book. The two sisters and two brothers are sketched in with just enough details to be able to distinguish them from one another, and Celia is a most realistic hamster, filled with a zest for life (as long as life is filled with plenty of eating and running).
The four Willow siblings have just moved to a house in the country for a year and are feeling just a little miffed about it. It might be better if they had a dog, but their parents have made it clear that they can't have a big animal until they can learn to take care of a small one. Unfortunately, their track record is not great, seeing as how the kids are now on their third hamster (Hammy the Third), and he has now escaped only days after they discovered him in their new cellar, chowing down on dog food.
Not only does Hammy turn up again, but he turns out to be a talking, wish-granting hamster. And Celia, the youngest Willow, makes a rash wish that turns her into a hamster the size of a large dog. During their night-time visit to the Great Hamster, who just might be able to reverse the spell, the Willow kids learn that the land all around their new house is very unique indeed, as are the burrowing animals that inhabit it.
This is a short and breezy fantasy a la Edward Eager, perfect for kids who have just learned to read with confidence and want a "real" chapter book. The two sisters and two brothers are sketched in with just enough details to be able to distinguish them from one another, and Celia is a most realistic hamster, filled with a zest for life (as long as life is filled with plenty of eating and running).
November 1, 2013
Things aren't going so well for the Willow children--Abner, Derek, Tate, and Celia. They've recently moved from their crowded neighborhood bustling with friends and activity to a secluded, old house in the country. And, they've just lost their third hamster which means that they will never get a dog which is what they really want. At least, Abner, the oldest child, does. A search finds Hammy the Third in an old suitcase under the stairs. Suddenly, the little hamster starts talking about being in trouble for getting caught and promises to grant one wish in exchange for his freedom. When the wish goes awry, the children stay out all night trying the convince the Great Hamster to reverse the spell. Very cute chapter book with well written and exciting prose.
November 6, 2012
I just finish Hamster Magic by Lynne Jonell. It's about this family that has a pet hamster and the hamster accidentally turns a girl into a hamster,so they have to find the great hamster to fix this. I really like the part when she becomes a hamster because the author describes a lot about that part. I like how the author describe Hammy the hamster and the others. I wish the author describe more about the setting because all she says is that they are at the river. In my life it reminds me of two fish I had at my house and both them pass away. The rest of the story talks about how they find the great hamster and how she turns back into herself.
April 23, 2012
IT was a super duper awesome book. My favorite part was when the little sister turned into a big hamster and back into a human. The dog treats "woofies" were hilarious! Ms Waters
I think Hamster Magic was an amazing book and my favorite part was when the brothers and sisters were trying to find the great magic hamster and go near the beach I can't wait untill the next book like this one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FROM ALIYAH
I think Hamster Magic was an amazing book and my favorite part was when the brothers and sisters were trying to find the great magic hamster and go near the beach I can't wait untill the next book like this one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FROM ALIYAH
April 16, 2011
Grades 1-3
I really enjoyed this short and fast paced tale of four siblings and their pet hamster. Things all get started when the youngest, Celia, finds out their hamster can talk, and grant wishes, as long as it is something a hamster would wish for. Her wish to be "bigger" does not turn out as she expected, and it is up to her siblings to help her reverse the magic. A good step up into early chapter books.
I really enjoyed this short and fast paced tale of four siblings and their pet hamster. Things all get started when the youngest, Celia, finds out their hamster can talk, and grant wishes, as long as it is something a hamster would wish for. Her wish to be "bigger" does not turn out as she expected, and it is up to her siblings to help her reverse the magic. A good step up into early chapter books.
March 20, 2012
This easy-to-read chapter book is perfect for beginning chapter book readers, 1st-2nd grade. It can also be read aloud to younger readers. The story itself is ok, young children will enjoy it; older children will be more easily bored. Youngsters who enjoy hamsters will especially like the story as one of the main characters is turned into a hamster! Quick, easy read, just not much to the story.
November 17, 2016
Four siblings are forced to move to the country with their parents. They find a magical hamster who promises them a wish for letting him out of a cage. The youngest of the siblings wishes to be bigger and is turned into... A GIANT HAMSTER. Trouble ensues.
There isn't really a clear ending and there don't seem to be any lessons learned based on the crazy wish. It's a fun read but pretty loose on plot or direction.
There isn't really a clear ending and there don't seem to be any lessons learned based on the crazy wish. It's a fun read but pretty loose on plot or direction.
July 31, 2012
Rating: generous 3
Audience: grades 2-3
Story: "When the Willows move into a new house, Celia, the youngest of four children, traps an enchanted hamster, who reluctantly agrees to grant the children one wish in exchange for his freedom."
Writing: Very simple story line that would appeal to girls and hamster lovers.
Audience: grades 2-3
Story: "When the Willows move into a new house, Celia, the youngest of four children, traps an enchanted hamster, who reluctantly agrees to grant the children one wish in exchange for his freedom."
Writing: Very simple story line that would appeal to girls and hamster lovers.
July 3, 2012
This Bluebonnet nominee didn't strike my fancy as much as some of the others have in the past. This one was a great selection for the younger readers which is probably why it is in the running. I thought be book skipped around and wasn't complete enough. It was very elementary in its composition. I think second grade girls will like it because of the little girl and they like fuzzy animals.
Read
January 13, 2011"There is something both appealing and remarkably nostalgic in this furry tale of cooperation among siblings and magical animals interacting with the human world."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's books
August 5, 2012
I have to admit that I didn't love this one. It was humorous in places and had an ok concept, but overall this wasn't great. The fantastical elements were rushed and overdone. I will not read any more of this series.
September 16, 2012
Cute book. A fun adventure four siblings who've just moved to a new place. The youngest, Celia, has made a wish and it was granted...but not exactly how she wanted. I love how the 4 work together and help each other to solve the problem.
October 14, 2012
My children enjoyed this more than I did. It was not a complex book. The characters and storyline were simple. Unless you are trying to read all of the Bluebonnet books for this year, I'd recommend spending your reading time on something else.
January 9, 2013
Hamsters Magic is a good book but kind of hard to relate. I can't relate to Hamsters Magic because I have never had a hamster before and I deffenitly have never Ben turned into one. The only way I can relate is I am the littlest and I am a girl
May 16, 2013
I read this because I so loved Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat. I was disappointed. The fantasy didn't seem plausible, and I couldn't connect with the characters. It all just felt forced. Although this is written for a younger audience, it's just missing something.
July 1, 2013
Cute story about a family who moves to the country and lives on top of a hill that is infused with magic. It is a good introduction to fantasy without going over board. Mostly realistic fiction with a little magic mixed in.
January 6, 2014
This was cute, but not particularly complex. The siblings were believable and the concept of underground magic that burrowing creatures absorb was neat. It would be great for a 1st-3rd grader who is getting into small chapters and interested in animals or fantasy.
April 28, 2015
Cute little quick book where the problems are all concrete and wrapped up neatly by the end of the book. My 10 and 9 year old kids didn't enjoy it as much, as it was a simpler story than their normal fare.
May 11, 2015
Read this to Cody when he got his Dwarf Robo Hamster & he loved it. Very light book with some good diversity of the siblings--it is a quick one night read, but I got it for 5 bucks on kindle so it was not a waste--we can likely reread it sometime next month...
June 13, 2010
Read advance review copy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews