Customer Reviews

MAGIC OR NOT?

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I love all of Eager's books. "Magic or Not" and "The Well Wishers" differ from his other five books in that the magic is less overt. It might be magic, it might be imagination, or ???? This book introduces readers to the joys that a love of the past can offer. The mystery centers on an abandoned house--who lived there? Why did they leave? The children are realistic, and you'll want to eat Lady Baltimore cake after reading this book. I read it at 8 and checked it out again and again just so I could keep it on my bookshelf. I'm happy today to own that original hardcover (the same one I checked out 30 years ago) as well as one of the newer paperback editions. The illustrations are great too.

In this book Mr. Eager introduces us to James, Laura, Kip, Lydia, Deborah and Gordy....not to mention the magic of the wishing well. In this book James and Laura have just moved to the country from New York. They are both excited about this move. A move to the country, for them, signals the beginning of adventure. They find adventure, too, when Lydia suggests to Laura to make a wish upon the well in hers' and James' new backyard. Some of the good deed adventures in this book are exciting, some are not; however, interesting insight is offered into each character-which will come in handy when reading "The Well Wishers", the sequel.

When the characters of a book spend the whole thing wondering if what's been going on is real magic or not, it' safe to assume the magic is not dramatic and thunderous.

That's how it is in this book. A group of children go around the countryside together, getting to know the people in the village, and doing good deeds that don't always turn out as they'd planned. Watching the children become fast friends, though one of them is thorny and another is goofy and a bit of a reject, is the best part of the book. The plot isn't predictable, but its surprises are mild.

I agree that Half Magic and Magic By the Lake, by the same author, pack more punch. But this one's nice for filling in if you've read those and want another Edward Eager fix, or if you just want to while away a summer day.

I have read Half Magic and Knights Castle and just finished Magic Or Not?, and out of those three, my favorite is Magic Or Not? I recomend this book for all children who can read (and adults too)!

First, I recommend that you read the book "Half-Magic" first. That is Mr. Eager's best book, and it sets the tone for every other book he wrote. You get a feel for the type of characters he has in his stories, and the theme of magic having rules, which is absolutely critical in this book.

This books' charm is that Mr. Eager is so vague about the children's; wishes being magic or not that you are left wondering. This is not as overt as his other books, and it is this subtlety that energizes me.

We all know that magic has rules-read G. K. Chesterton's essay "The Ethics of Elf-Land"-but this book takes that idea to the next level. The magic is not magic at all, but just our godlike powers of doing good and helping other people.

This book is a great way to get your children to do right. Start out with "Half Magic,' and teach you children that magic, along with everything else, has rules. Then introduce them to this series of books, which teaches that magic is just us doing the right thing. This will save you many lectures and fights sine the morality is coated in a fairy tale.

A great alternative to Harry Potter.

This book and its sequel The Well Wishers has Edward Eager with another set of children: Laura, James, and Deborah who have just moved to the country, and Kip and Lydia, their lively new neighbors. Laura longs for the fantastic, and a series of adventures which may or may not be magical ensue. In this book and its sequel Eager seems reluctant to fully embrace magic, and to some the mundane alternative explanations might seem to fall a little flat. But even so, there's plenty of fun, lots of wry, unsentimental commentary by children on the foibles of adults, and many, many literary and historical references. Adults looking for thoughtful, fun books which will pique their childrens' interest need look no further than Edward Eager.

If Only You Had A Wishing Well

Magic or Not
By Edward Eager

When James, Laura and Deborah move into their new house on Silvermine Road, there are rumors that the well on the property is a dried up wishing-well. Along with new friends Kip, Lydia and Gordy, they secretly begin leaving notes in the well, hoping that their wishes will be granted. They soon find that if, in fact, the well is working, (and they aren't at all sure) it will only work for un-selfish wishes.

Can it be a coincidence that they find the long lost heir, or that they stop the school from being torn down? At times, it seems that the very thing they wish for is exactly what they get.

Will the magic work when they need it, or will they have to find their own solutions to their problems?

Magic or Not is an adventure of children making friendships and helping others. It's real fun, whether it's Magic or Not!

Jill Vanderwood, children's magical adventure author
Through the Rug
Through The Rug: Follow That Dog (Through the Rug)

My seven year old loved this book. His review: "Is this story supposed to have lots of magic in it, or is it just coincidence? The story was great, all right."

My guess is that if your child loves Edward Eager's other stuff, he or she will love this book as well.

Magic or Not is just what the title says. I like the mystery as to whether things are magical or not. It is interesting and intriguing. It explains it all in the end. There is still some mystery to it; you don't know exactly if what they figure out is actually right or not. Kids eight and up would like this book. The next book is the Well Wishers.

After I read Magic or Not i wanted to read all the rest of Eagers books. Like a few other reviewers I think that it got a little boring when the just did a few unrisky good deeds. One of the best books in the series.