Maggie Sparks and the School of Slime

Gr 1-3–Magical Maggie Sparks and her exceedingly anxious bestie Arthur are forced to attend a posh new private school when the ground under their own school begins sinking. Arthur is thrilled, while Maggie is less than enthusiastic. Her teacher looks like a vampire, and she’s not well received by the mean girls in her class. She attempts to use her magic to improve her circumstances, but the best-laid plans lead to chaos, of course. It takes a lot of exposition to get to the meat of the story, and even longer to get to the magical high jinks, which is the hook for this trope. There are instances of British English vocabulary, like cross for mad, and a discussion of chicken pox, which may be less ­relatable for American readers—but many early elementary kids dream of having magical powers to control or create havoc at school, so the story will still land. Illustrations throughout are energetic and fun, including some full pages, which will help practicing readers stay interested and feel ­accomplished. Maggie’s mom presents Black, and her dad presents white.