Secrets of the Magic Ring [Kindle Edition]

Karen McQuestion (Author), Vincent Desjardins (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The eagerly anticipated sequel to Celia and the Fairies!

When nine-year-old Paul explores the hole dug for his backyard swimming pool, he discovers a box containing a ring--a ring that turns out to be magical. Moments later, a mysterious boy shows up demanding the ring; luckily, Paul's trusty dog, Clem, scares him away. To keep the ring safe, Paul hides it in his pillow case, where, to his horror, it's discovered by his mother, who loans it to his Aunt Vicky. Things get even stranger when Vicky, a nonswimmer, falls into the now finished pool and discovers that her greatest secret wish has been granted--she can swim! As the ring gets passed around and wishes are made, a wild series of talents and circumstances threaten to turn their lives upside down forever. But Jasmine, a fairy of the woods, has an idea--and if everyone cooperates, she just might be able to put an end to the shenanigans and return their lives to normal. Wildly original and full of vibrant, chaotic imagination, Secrets of the Magic Ring is proof of the old adage "Be careful what you wish for."

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Karen McQuestion Interviews Illustrator Vincent Desjardins

Karen McQuestion: True confession--before I knew for sure that you'd be doing the artwork for my book, I secretly stalked your website and blog and was so impressed! The examples of your work show very diverse styles. How did you become so versatile?

Vincent Desjardins: I think in order to compete in today's competitive illustration market, an illustrator needs to be adaptable. But actually I think any versatility that I may have achieved is probably due to my career-long search for a style. I'd heard over and over again how important it is to develop a personal style and worried that my work was too all over the map.

I've been doing my work digitally for over 20 years, where it's much easier to explore and take risks. If you make a mistake you can "undo" it, and you can save multiple versions of the same image. There are so many different illustrators that have influenced me that I often find myself creating challenges to see if I can do something in their style.

KM: When my editor told me you were available to do the illustrations for Secrets of the Magic Ring, I was over-the-moon thrilled. How did you prepare for the project?

VD: First off, I read the manuscript straight through. Then I went back over it for a second pass and underlined all of the passages that I felt had visual potential. When your editor forwarded me one of your emails where you said you were a fan of N.M. Bodecker, the illustrator of Edward Eager's books, I checked out all of his books so I could study the illustrations. Bodecker has a wonderful style. He was especially good at using patterns and stylizing things like trees and plants.

KM: With publishers tightening their belts, fewer middle-grade books are now illustrated. What are your thoughts on this?

VD: Of course, this is something that directly affects my profession, so as an illustrator it makes me sad. As an avid reader of children's middle-grade fiction, it also saddens me, especially when I browse the books in our library's children's classics section and I see the beautiful pen-and-ink illustrations that filled so many of the books from the 1940s, '50s, and '60s.

I know that when I was a child, I would always go for the books that had pictures in them. When starting a book, I would look at all of the pictures first because then I found it fun to search for the accompanying text while I was reading. When I would get to the text that was being illustrated, I would always go back and forth between the picture and the text to see how the artist interpreted the author's words. I still do that.

KM: Do you draw from memory?

VD: Not entirely. I usually do a rough layout sketch of where I want the figures placed, and then I use various types of guides to help me flesh things out. For example, I will often search for images of plants and animals to use as drawing aids. Sometimes I will even search for things like women's hairstyles. For the dog, Clem, in Secrets of the Magic Ring, I looked at photographs of a breed of dog called an otterhound. For filling in simple background details--for example, the objects you might see in a laundry room--I usually just use my imagination and memory.

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A Look Inside Secrets of the Magic Ring

Click on thumbnails for larger images

"Not so fast," Grammy said, entering the clearing.	Celia and Paul sat in the shade of the Triple Trees eating a picnic lunch.	So this is what it felt like to fly.	The fairy girl, Jasmine, watched the party and puzzled over the turn of events.

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Review

“I simply fell in love with the story Celia and the Fairies, and Secrets of the Magic Ring is a delightful sequel, although it is also a wonderful stand-alone story. I continued to be surprised and thrilled as Paul’s story unfolded, especially when it took turns that I didn’t anticipate. Just when I was sure that it could not possibly end well, the cleverness of a nine-year old saved the day! This is an adventure that is sure to appeal to both boys and girls, and I can’t wait to read it to my students.” -- Stacy Romanjuk, Fourth Grade Teacher at Hart Ransom School in Modesto, California

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 914 KB
• Publisher: AmazonEncore (November 8, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005DXOML2
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #61,782 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful fairytale, part 2...., October 26, 2011

By 

dSavannah George-Jones (rural Arkansas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Secrets of the Magic Ring (Paperback)

(What's this?)

"Secrets" is a perfect followup to the author's earlier work, Celia and the Fairies. All the characters are here, though this book is told from the point of view of Paul, Celia's friend and neighbor.

In this story, Aunt Vicky gives Paul and his family a swimming pool, and Paul finds a box in the hole dug for it. Inside the box is a magic ring that can make wishes come true: but in the best fairy tales, there's always a catch. Throw in a boy, Henry, who just wants to go home, and things happen in very unexpected ways!

I don't think this particular book has as many "messages" as the original, but it's still a very charming read. It grabbed me from the very first chapter!

I'm thrilled the author gave us a sequel - hope she gives us a prequel with Henry and Celia's grandmother.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!", October 26, 2011

By 

Geraldine Ahearn "Author Geri Ahearn" (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Secrets of the Magic Ring (Paperback)

(What's this?)

It was Paul's ninth birthday, summer vacation was just around the corner, and the anticipation of swimming in a brand new pool was overwhelming. The excitement of watching the construction made him daydream of how much fun he would soon have. As Paul enjoyed gazing at the deep hole, while his imagination exploded, so did his curiosity when he noticed a box-like structure sticking out of the dirt. Paul's Aunt Vicky paid for the new pool, but did she know about the secret treasure? What was inside the box that Paul found, and was his discovery a secret? Why was Henry's tone threatening when he demanded Paul to give him the box? Why was Henry dressed in rags, desperately searching for food, and did he live in the woods? What did Henry know about the ring that Paul didn't know, and why did Henry miss his family? I highly recommend 'Secrets of the Magic Ring' to children, ages six to eleven, who enjoy fun-filled stories from beginning to end. Karen McQuestion created a mystical-magical adventure as the characters come to life in this vibrant, mysterious tale. What did Vicky wish for, and did her wish come true? Where did Paul's mother find the ring, and how did Vicky lose it? What did Grammy know about the ring, why did Henry spy on Paul's house, and who did Clem talk to? Did Mira know about the history of the ring, and did she tell Jasmine? Will Jasmine break the rules to help Henry? Can the gold ring with a sparkling blue gem, taken from a box that looked like a pirate's chest, lead to big trouble? Who was the ring a perfect fit for? Will happiness turn into misery, after many wishes are granted?

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A new classic for children, November 9, 2011

By 

AnitaGL - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets of the Magic Ring (Kindle Edition)

Paul is thrilled when his Aunt offers to pay for a pool for his 9th birthday. He is fascinated by the digging and prepping for the pool........and then something magical and mysterious is found, a real buried treasure. Paul believes he has really found something beautiful and valuable, but he also reads the instructions and he soon learns the power behind one's most desired wish. Be careful what you wish for has never been more true.

I love the timelessness of this book. When reading it I realized it could have taken place almost any time in the last 20 or so years. The illustrations by Vincent Desjardins are so well done and also classic in feel. This book is fantasy and lessons to be learned rolled into one. The adventures that Paul has are so appealing to a child boy or girl, and I truly enjoyed each one.

I'm sending this book off to a friend with 2 young boys, because I know they too will love this new book.