Interference Powder [Paperback]

Jean Hanff Korelitz (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

Eleven-year-old Nina would like more than anything to take singing lessons, but her mother wants to see an improvement in her grades first. When Nina fails another test, she retreats to the comfort of art class, and with the encouragement of a mysterious substitute teacher named Charlemagne, draws a picture of her life as she would like it—with a perfect test score. Imagine her surprise when in a matter of seconds—and with the help of a little "interference powder" provided by Charlemagne—that picture becomes reality, and that reality turns out to be less than perfect! In this delightful children’s literature debut from a well-known writer for adults, the lines of reality and fantasy are comfortably and hilariously blurred, while the importance of self-awareness comes into sharp focus.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-The day Nina Zabin finds a luminous bottle of mysterious powder in her substitute teacher's art bag, she inadvertently wreaks havoc on her world. Suddenly, the 62 she got on her social studies test turns into a 100, and she is representing her fifth-grade class in the Brain-Busters Extravaganza. Her best friend, Isobel, always the smart one, is green with envy, while her clueless mother is pleased as punch. Resigned to losing Isobel's friendship, she tries to use the magic to get the singing lessons she so desperately wants. The day of the competition, she is unable to talk without sounding like a radio jingle or an operatic aria. Her tears cause an inexplicable flood onstage, and she runs home, mortified. Her widowed mom takes her to a child psychologist; his wise words help Nina to finally use the magic one last time to fix things. The powder's power is never really explained, but Nina ends up with her old best friend and a couple of new ones, a happy mom, and singing lessons with the substitute teacher who started it all. The novel's strands tie together in a satisfying resolution, and the singing fiasco is truly hilarious. Despite the magical element, this is largely realistic fiction about knowing oneself and being true to one's dreams.
Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. Interference powder is more than just a creative title here; it refers to ground-up mica that artists use to give an extra shimmer to their paintings. After fifth-grader Nina Zabin receives a 68 on her history test, she paints a picture of herself handing the test to her mother with a perfect score. Finding some interference powder in her art teacher's bag, she sprinkles it on her painting. But the powder does more than give a shine to the painting; it magically transforms her grade! Then, to her horror, Nina discovers that her high score means that she must represent her class in an all-school history quiz. Along the way, the interference powder causes more havoc, culminating in Nina's finding that every time she opens her mouth, her words come out in song. All is resolved by the conclusion, and Nina is able to take singing lessons--something she has wanted to do all along. Despite the familiar setup, the novel has a winning central character and some funny scenes that many young readers will enjoy. Todd Morning
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 142 pages
• Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Childrens Books (March 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761452753
• ISBN-13: 978-0761452751
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,874,280 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Predictable but enjoyable... like a tv show., September 27, 2005

By 

grrlpup (Portland, Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Interference Powder (Hardcover)

Nina is in fifth grade. Her friend Isobel has always been "the smart one" and Nina's always been "the artistic one." With the help--or interference--of magic, this gets turned on its head. Trying to use the magic to fix things just makes them worse. In the end, Nina has to drop the tricks and be herself in order to put her life on an even keel again. The people around her understand her better when she does, too.

Almost everybody has thought about how to use three wishes, or magic powder, or a million dollars. It's fun to watch one more attempt, and I really didn't mind that some of the scenes were predictable and others were a little unrealistic. Predictable: when Nina's best friend drops her, she meets a couple of other kids and finds out she can have other friends. Predictable: Nina hunts all over for the person she got the magic from and can't find her. At the end of the book, a door opens and there she is! Unrealistic: there's a whole competition among multiple classes about which kid knows the most about New Amsterdam, which is just one unit in their history class? Unrealistic: she takes parsnips to a pot-luck?

Most of the book is realistic and fun, however. The dialog is snappy: her mom's wake-up call is, "In five minutes there will be a hot piece of toast and a hot scrambled egg on the table. In six minutes there will be a cold piece of toast and a cold scrambled egg on the kitchen table. In seven minutes there will be NO TOAST AND NO EGG ON THE KITCHEN TABLE. So get up." The two of them make a nice family.

In a few months I will have forgotten that I read this book, probably. But it's enjoyable while it lasts, and I'm pretty hopeful that the author's next books will be even better.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great story for young girls, January 29, 2004

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Interference Powder (Hardcover)

This book is a breezy, fun read about friendship and growing up. The girl's adventures are magical in a way, but the story is grounded in a very real-world situation, a 5th grade girl trying to figure out who she is, who her real friends are, and what matters in life. What's great is that the message is not preachy and didactic, but heartfelt and very clear. I think it will help young girls think about identity-- while also making them laugh.