From School Library Journal
Grades 3-5--The Great Zandini comes from a long line of renowned magicians. It is now time for his son, Theodore, to carry on the family tradition. Unfortunately, the boy has no interest or talent in the conjuring arts. Zandini doesn't acknowledge the considerable skills of his daughter, Fanny, and persists in trying to mold Theo. The conjurer's show-stopping return to the Parisian stage falls flat when his son fails miserably-his "Miraculous Catch" only garners the wig of the mayor's wife. In an attempt to save her family's name, Fanny disguises herself as a boy and matches magical wits with her father. Sprinkled throughout the text are challenging newspaper articles written by A. S. Besette, conjuring reporter and enemy of the Great Zandini. Fagan's prose is engaging and appears well researched, from the exotic magic tricks to the portrayal of the place of girls and women in 19th-century society. Young's pen-and-ink drawings have an antique quality and depict a bygone era of parasols and horse-drawn carriages. There are several surprises in the plot, and young readers will enjoy, as Zandini puts it, the "Transformations, alterations, [and] manipulations."-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Review
“Fagan’s prose is engaging and…well researched, from the exotic magic tricks to the portrayal of the place of girls and women in 19th–century society.”
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School Library Journal
“Fagan proves himself a wonderful writer with a rare comic gift.”
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Publishers Weekly“…a wonderful tale of magic and mystery wrapped into one…This book will be sure to delight young readers who are intrigued by magic with just the right amount of mystery to discover who will follow in the Great Zandini’s footsteps.”
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Resource Links
“Cary Fagan’s captivating book,
Daughter of the Great Zandini is a magical story set in Paris a century ago. It is a tale full of mystery, intrigue and illusion that appeals to the imagination…The book has tremendous story appeal as a readaloud: the chapter breaks are perfect for building suspense.”
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Children’s Book News
“Cary Fagan’s first short novel for young readers is as magical as its subject matter. It’s full of playful mischief…it’s also an empowering story for young readers, for boys who don’t want to follow in their father’s career footsteps and girls who do, and for children who long to express themselves creatively.”
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Quill & Quire“With its amusing touch of melodrama, this story is clever and fun – and because of its almost picture-book size, and many ink drawings accentuating the Parisian atmosphere and culture, it’s one of those rare books to bridge the wide gap between picture books and full-scale novels.”
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The Toronto Star“As he did in
The Market Wedding, Fagan has created a solid world of real people within a Jewish folklore tradition. Cybèle Young…perfectly captures the Edwardian feel of Paris in the Gay 90s.”
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Ottawa Citizen“Cary Fagan gives readers a wonderfully whimsical and yes, heart–warming, story… Cybèle Young’s charming black and white illustrations give a lovely sense of the times, and overall the book is a magic trick in itself, making play of appearance and reality.”
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Times-Colonist“…this book captivates and delights from its poster-like cover through to the last triumphant page.”
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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin
“[a] charming tale…Young’s illustrations capture the spirit of this…narrative…”
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Hadassah Magazine
