Stopping for a Spell: Three Fantasies [Hardcover]

Diana Wynne Jones (Author), Joseph A. Smith (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1993 | Age Level: 8 and up

In three magical stories, Chair Person finds being a chair easier than being a person, Angus Flint is a visitor who refuses to leave, and four grannies come to care for Emily and Erg. By the author of Aunt Maria.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in a contemporary England that is only slightly beset by enchantments, these three stories brim with the wry takes on everyday situations and the marvelous slapstick wizardry that have made Jones's novels ( The Ogre Downstairs ) so howlingly funny. In "Chair Person," a chance encounter with a genuine magic kit brings gloriously grumpy life to "an armchair with a sofa opinion of itself." Armed with an insatiable appetite, a formidable lack of tact and a ceaseless flow of facts gleaned from an entire career spent in front of the television, the self-styled Chair Person threatens to take over Marcia and Simon's home. A chopstick that may or may not be a magic wand wreaks supernatural havoc when the title characters of "Four Grannies" come to take care of Erg and his step-sister Emily. In "Who Got Rid of Angus Flint?" an exceedingly unpleasant houseguest is finally vanquished when the tables--along with the grand piano, the carpet and assorted chairs--turn on him. None of these lighthearted stories possesses the emotional depth and the layers of meaning found in the author's novels for older readers--nor are they intended to. Aimed at a slightly younger audience, this book is an ideal introduction to the quirky humor and witchery that characterize this author's work, nicely complemented by the line drawings and spot illustrations scattered throughout the text. Ages 8-up.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-- Jones, best known for her books for older readers, turns to the younger set here with three short, easy-to-read fantasies, presented in inviting large type. Published originally in Britain in the 1970s and 80s, the stories have been brought together and reillustrated for their debut in this country. Each selection is made up of six or seven very brief chapters. All three overflow with the kind of slapstick humor children love, involving ordinary household objects brought to life by magic. "Chair Person" is the best: children will enjoy the trials of a family whose old armchair is mysteriously (and disastrously) transformed into an overstuffed, and overbearing, little man. Although their themes are appealing, the other two selections are confusing and the last one moves at a breathless pace. Briticisms, while an integral part of an import's style, here weigh down the text. Readers just honing their skills should not have to deal with such an overload of unfamiliar usage. --Ruth S. Vose, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 148 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow; 1st edition (May 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688113672
• ISBN-13: 978-0688113674
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,341,735 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming tales, October 8, 2002

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stopping for a Spell: Three Fantasies (Hardcover)

"Stopping for a Spell" will probably never be as well-known as Jones' better works, as the three stories are essentially large-print kid novellas. Nevertheless, they show Jones' particular brand of charm and cuteness, focusing on ordinary everyday things that become infused with magic -- and some very annoying houseguests.

In "Chair Person," the family has just decided to get rid of a hideous old chair when bustling Aunt Christa arrives with a used conjurer's set. Her experiments in magic have an unexpected effect when the chair transforms into Chair Person, who is clumsy, stupid, gluttonous, and who recites commercials constantly. How can Simon and Marcia deal with Chair Person?

"Four Grannies" draws on the attitudes of bossy elderly types. Erg and Emily have four grandmothers, two biological and two stepgrandmothers -- and all of them have ways of making the kids miserable. Erg just wants to be left alone to finish his prayer machine. But when one of the grannies gives him a a chopstick that happens to be magical, the prayer machine causes some unique mayhem...

"Who Got Rid of Angus Filch?" features Angus Filch, the houseguest of your nightmares. His wife threw him out, and now his old college buddy's family can see why: He's controlling, obnoxious, complains constantly, torments the dog, jeers at the furniture, watches raunchy TV shows, never pays, grabs the kids by their hair to punish them, and gets up in the middle of the night to set fire to his supposedly contaminated sheets. But the kids of the family receive unexpected help -- from some very angry furniture.

Diana Wynne Jones is in excellent form here; readers who don't like short stories may still like these. The characters are all delightfully realistic, from the reclusive wannabe inventor to the nightmarish grandmothers who don't want kids in the bathroom too long, lest they become "peculiar." All sorts of hilarious situations arise, such as Emily ("Four Grannies") becoming sickening pious, or Chair Person regaling a church group with the fate of the wildebeest.

As these are all earlier short stories of Jones', ranging from the mid-1970s to late 1980s, they aren't very detailed as some of her current books. But the same absurd, sparkling magic is very present. A delightful little read.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting, September 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Stopping for a Spell: Three Fantasies (Hardcover)

This book by Diana Wynne Jones is an awesome book. I have read these stories over and over again. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Harry Potter or any of Jones' other books.