The Magic in You

Gr 3-6–This middle grade magic trick book has potential, but it misses the mark in several ways. It is nice in that the tricks described do not require special equipment and can be practiced with everyday objects, or just one’s body. Additionally, readers will be impressed with the variety of tricks described, from juggling to levitating to hat rolls. The challenges with this book are the length, the writing, and the lack of imagery. There are many magic books on library shelves, and this one will struggle to compete with those filled with high-color images and quick tips. The writing is conversational, which will appeal to young readers, and there is easy humor throughout. However, it is very wordy and likely to lose some readers due to the overall length. The lack of pictures accompanying the text makes it hard to visualize the tricks being described.