Summary
The Magic Half begins by describing a family with 5 children, two sets of twins that sandwich a singleton, Miri. At first she thinks it is special to be a part of a family with two sets of twins, but as she grows, she begins to feel left out and alone. The family moves to a new house, where the older twin brothers hear rumors of buried treasure and begin to dig around. Miri finds a piece of eyeglass; when she looks through, she is magically transported to 1935 where she meets a girl who is very much like her. She wants to save Molly from her cruel cousins and aunt. She accidentally goes back to her own time using her own glasses, and sets about trying to return to 1935 to save Molly. She figures out how her return must be managed, and how to ensure that history enfolds as it should. Then she returns to 1935, arranges the details so that her future self will find the way to the past in 70 years, and rescues Molly. When they return to their own time, they find that their actions have changed history to the point that Molly is now her sister and is from her own time.
My Impressions
This book is adorable. Written by the author of Ivy + Bean, it does a great job of tapping in to the feelings siblings might have about one another. The magical elements and the girls' efforts to ensure the course of history are interesting and seem logical. This would be a very fun book to use to introduce children to the fantasy genre.
Reviews
Most reviewers liked this book. School Library Journal's Laura Butler notes that this "delightful tale brimming with mystery, magic, and adventure that will surely enchant readers everywhere" (Butler, 2008). She also mentions the realism in the setting and characters, despite the magical actions taking place. A Kirkus staff reviewer was not quite as complementary, noting that "narrative nuance and finely tuned character development are sacrificed to quick pacing and plotting, however, a trade-off that will keep middle-graders turning the pages but that may make this offering a disappointment for fans of the superb Ivy Bean chapter books" (Anonymous, 2007).
Use in a Library
Not only would this be a fun way to introduce readers to the fantasy genre, but it would be neat to include as part of a unit on time travel. Patrons could watch a time travel movie, read at least one other time travel book, and talk about the ways the author uses the time travel device. Kids could make artwork or write short stories about their own imaginary time travel trips, which could be posted in the library. It could also be fun to have a competition between the finished items and let the kids design and give out the final award.
References
Anonymous. (2007). Barrows, Annie: The magic half. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from Literature Resource Center.
Barrows, A. (2008). The magic half. New York, NY: Holtzbrinck Publishers.
Butler, L (2008). Barrows, Annie. The Magic Half. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.libraryjournal.com/slj/printissuecurrentissue/860195-427/grades_5_amp_up.html.csp.
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