River Magic

February 15, 2021
The river near her home in Maine is central to everything real and magic in Donna's life. Donna is mourning the drowning death of her beloved aunt Annabelle, who was her mentor, guide, and inspiration. Now things are falling apart; there are huge bills to pay, and her mom is considering sending Donna to a hated relative for the summer. Donna's sister is nasty and hateful, and her best friend is drifting away. Dealing with all this is difficult enough, but an awful lot of strange things are happening. There is a voice in Donna's head that seems to be Annabelle's. Kids at school speak of pixies and ley lines. Vilma, an older woman who is a new neighbor, turns out to be an extremely powerful thunder mage; Margily, a river dragon, carries her on thunder forays. The magic builds slowly at first, but the pace quickens with twists and turns galore. Enemies become friends, and new friends are recognized, especially previously despised classmate Hillyard. There is greed, danger, breathtaking adventure, and even humor and joy. Donna narrates her tale, voicing her feelings, reactions, and confusion. Readers will recognize her as a kindred spirit and root for her all the way to a satisfying conclusion. The book situates Whiteness as the default. A carefully constructed interweaving of reality and magic that will transport and delight. (Fantasy. 10-14)

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March 22, 2021
Donna Landon grew up riverside near “a teeny little Maine town” with her white carpenter mother, older sister Janice, and beloved aunt Annabelle. But nine months after Annabelle drowns in a kayaking accident, Donna begins hearing Annabelle’s voice in her head—or someone who sounds a lot like her (“The thing to do with anger is blow it out your nose and hope it hits somebody”). It’s a comfort to the girl, whose mother is working three jobs to offset debt, and whose sister, now 16, has “nothing good to say” about Donna. Worse, Donna’s best friend, Rachel, also white, has abandoned her for basketball teammates. Afraid she’ll be sent to live with wealthier “Cousin Betty, plus her Evil Boy Twins,” Donna jumps at the chance to clean peculiar new neighbor Vilma Bliksem’s house, especially when Vilma pays in gold. But when Vilma reveals she’s a thunder mage who’s holding a grudge, Donna must step up to set things right. A dense emotional core, resonant voice, and themes of grief, shifting friendships, and family enliven Booraem’s (Texting the Underworld) contemporary fantasy, reminding readers that “hope is everywhere.” Ages 10–up. Agent: Kate Schafer Testerman, KT Literary.

April 1, 2021

Gr 5 Up-Another engaging fantasy set in the real world from Booraem. Donna's life is a wreck. Aunt Annabelle recently drowned and Donna's best friend Rachel has drifted away. To make matters worse, her single mom and high school-age sister can barely pay the bills, so it's up to Donna to do all the chores. When a voice in her head sounds like Aunt Annabelle giving her chore advice, the new neighbor pays her in gold for cleaning her house, and the weird kid at school turns out to have some common interests, things seem to be okay for a minute. Then Donna discovers the voice is a river dragon's, the gold is addictive, and the neighbor is a thunder mage who is turning everyone in the town into chickens. It takes the help of her new friend and the basketball team, along with the River Dragon to save her town, her house, and her family. Readers will root for quirky, charming Donna throughout, though they may wonder what she looks like (not described) and how old she is (her school has lockers and class periods, but also recess.) While there is a lot going on plot-wise, the story is woven together believably, though the chickens challenge suspension of disbelief more than the dragon, pixies, and thunder mage. VERDICT Recommended for fans of Katherine Applegate's Crenshaw who don't mind a bit of off-the-wall chicken magic.-Hillary Perelyubskiy, Los Angeles P.L.

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