One Jar of Magic

Starred review from December 7, 2020
With taut underlying tension and a sympathetically flawed protagonist, Haydu’s (Ever Cursed) middle grade novel literalizes magic’s effects on a family and community. Rose Alice Anders has looked forward to this upcoming New Year’s Eve, her 12th birthday, for as long as she can remember. In Belling Bright, the anniversary means she’s old enough to join her family at TooBlue Lake, catching magic on New Year’s Day. To Rose’s father, the town’s most celebrated magic-catcher, it means that she—his “Little Luck”—will finally follow in his footsteps. But despite encouragement from her less magically inclined brother, who takes after their mother, Rose catches only one jar of magic—angering their volatile father, leading her to question her destiny, and resulting in social fallout. Using insightful flashbacks to reveal Rose’s conflicted feelings about her dad and her desire to fulfill his dream, Haydu deftly, and with startling clarity, portrays the presence and devastating effect of abuse on a family. The sweet protectiveness of older brother Lyle, Rose’s gradual awareness and acceptance of herself, and the hope that families and people can heal offer further thoughtfully rendered touches. Ages 8–12. Agent: Victoria Marini, Irene Goodman Literary.

December 1, 2020
Rose Alice Anders learns magic can't fix everything, despite what her father has always told her. The daughter of the most magical man in town, Rose is destined to follow in his footsteps. When she turns 12, she can finally join the rest of her community and participate in the annual capturing of magic on New Year's Day. But when the day arrives, she only manages to catch one measly jar of magic. Her father is furious, and to make things worse, her relationship with her best friend is falling apart. Rose feels like an utter failure until she learns that some people are "Not Meant for Magic," an option she never knew existed. As she begins to question who she's truly meant to be, she also starts to acknowledge the painful truth about her father. The worldbuilding and magic system are enchanting and expertly crafted, but the core of this gorgeously written story isn't magic at all: It's abuse--and it's absolutely heartbreaking and completely realistic. While the abuse is never downplayed, this heavy subject is approached through Rose's first-person narration in a way that is fitting for its intended audience. The characters are richly developed and emotionally complex; a beautiful, tender sibling relationship stands out, showing mutual understanding and emotional support in ways both large and small. The ending is empowering and plausibly hopeful. Characters are White by default. Affecting and unforgettable. (author's note, resources) (Fiction. 9-13)

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February 1, 2021
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* Magic has always been part of life in Belling Bright, where residents keep jars of it for uses both practical and frivolous. Though everyone uses magic to one degree or another, Wendell Anders is renowned for his extraordinary abilities with it, and everyone assumes that his daughter, Rose, will be just as proficient. She's about to turn 12, which means she can finally participate in the annual capturing of magic and prove to everyone that she is just as remarkable as they hope. After all, as her father insists, people only attract the magic they deserve. When things don't turn out as she hoped, though, Rose's father fumes, and she's despondent. What does it say about her worth in a magical town if she can barely capture a jar of the stuff? Haydu's (Eventown, 2019) story is a stunner. Its magic system is inventive and imaginative, and Rose and her world are drawn with care and compassion. But beyond the magic, there's an important thread of emotional, and eventually physical, abuse in the Anders family, and while the implications are subtle at first, by the story's end, there's no denying their impact on the close-knit family and community at large. It's a carefully crafted message of hope and the sometimes-painful beauty in forging an identity all your own.

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Starred review from February 1, 2021

Gr 4-7-Expectation runs high for 12-year-old Rose Anders, whose father, Wendell, is the most successful magic-catcher in Belling Bright. His jars of trapped magic fill every closet. Rose, described as having blue eyes and brown curly hair, awaits her first magic-catching day with rising dread. Her friends Maddy, with blonde braids, and Ginger, whose appearance is not described, seem to be tiring of Rose's incessant proclamations of her heir apparent status, while at home her father's dodgy advice becomes overbearing, even as her brother Lyle and passive mother try to still its contentious waves. Magic-catching day does not go as planned for Rose, and she suffers an embarrassing letdown. Meeting a family who is "Not Meant for Magic" and dealing with her father's ominous mood swings, Rose confronts the effect magic has on her family and community. Haydu's work of magical realism evokes fraught emotions boiling just below the surface of Rose's "perfect" life. Her first-person narration begins with a confident arrogance that slowly dissipates along with her father's public geniality. The quirky joys a jar of magic can provide, like pink hair, rainbows, and bad weather, delicately balance against Rose's descent from popularity into a near pariah. Rose's visceral pain and her hard-earned agency will be deeply felt. While age appropriate, the story does contain possible triggers for domestic abuse survivors. VERDICT Readers who enjoy everyday magic, friendship stories, and family drama will be enchanted by this magic jar of a book.-Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Lib. Assoc., CT

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