Upside-Down Magic

From a trio of popular authors, this series starter is great for readers not quite ready to tackle Harry Potter. In the very cute premise, Nory is a girl who comes from a family of magicians, yet her magic always comes out "wonky." For example, when she tries to turn into a kitten, she comes out as

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a "dritten" (half kitten, half dragon). Unfortunately, Nory's father is principal of the elite magic school that Nory would like to attend. When she doesn't pass the admittance test, Nory is sent to live with her aunt and go to a school that promotes "upside-down magic" for their more individual learners. Here is where Nory and her classmates learn that it's ok to be an individual. Third grade and up readers will love this series.

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Nory Horrace's magic doesn’t seem to work the way she would like it to- it’s wonky. Being able to turn into an animal should be easy, especially the small black kitten she needs to change into for the Big Test at Sage Academy. Every time she tries, she turns into the wrong animal- or rather a

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combination of animals, like a bat and a cat. Worst of all, she gets lost in the mind of the creature and ends up embarrassing herself. It only makes things harder that her father is the headmaster of the academy. When Nory fails the Big Test she is heartbroken, but when an aunt she doesn’t know comes to take her away, Nory’s heart sinks even more. Her dad doesn’t want her to stay at his house with her wonky magic. Now she won’t get to see her brother and sister. Plus, they won’t even answer her phone calls. At her new school, there’s a class for kids who have upside-down magic. Their magic does the opposite of what it’s supposed to do. The kids in class seem nice, but Nory thinks they are a little strange. She and another student, Elliot, who turns things to ice instead setting them on fire, decide they don’t belong there and devise a plan to get into the “normal” magic classes. Will Elliot and Nory be able to tame their magic? Is it possible to take the test again and get out of the class they're in? Will Nory talk to her family again? Why is her dad so disappointed in her? Read this fast-paced story and find out!

I had fun reading Upside-Down Magic by Sarah Mlynowski! It was a book filled with unique characters, and I was easily able to read it in one day. I felt bad for Nory and her friends that they had trouble controlling their powers, also that they were often surprised by the outcome of their attempts. I imagine it'd be tough to lose control and have your magic surprise you all the time. It was fascinating to see what happened in the upside-down class. I thought their teacher was nice, and I liked how she pointed out what made them even more important was that their skills were different. Being able to do things that others can’t comes in handy! My favorite part was probably the end, but I don’t want to give anything away. I would recommend this book to kids (and adults) in second grade and up who enjoy stories with magic and characters that have a lot to learn. I know it will be exciting to read the rest of the books in the series!

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Pretty cute book -- I love that it centers embracing difference, and that it also gives the kids the space to get there on their own. Nory comes from a dysfunctional and non-communicative family, and has the wrong kid of out-sized talent to win approval from her father. After she is sent away to

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live with her aunt and attend a different school, she starts to find her own way to controlling her magic in a way that doesn't negate it's more creative effects.

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As someone who has worked in special education and with children of multiple ethnicities, I immediately read deeper into Upside-Down Magic than most people. Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle and Emily Jenkins are mad brilliant. They took a girl’s worries about being different and forced her to

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accept them instead of following the typical narrative of self-discovery and being mainstreamed and everyone liking her, they were much more realistic with how they handled the politics of education and the fact that all students’ needs are different, whether it be in learning math or magic. They also incorporated the fact that most minority and special needs student are often taught by a white, female teacher that the students have difficulty relating to. And while the teacher may have people in her life that have unique needs, rarely did/does the teacher.
I recommend Upside-Down Magic to children at the store that feel like they don’t really fit in or who really like magic stories, but I also recommend it to each and every teacher that walks through the bookstore doors because, whether the authors intended or not, they have written a brilliant piece of social commentary on our education system in the United States and how imperative it is to teach every child in a manner that best fits their unique needs and style.

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Really cute

I will definitely read this to grand kids! It's, cute, clever and teaches embracing diversity, good friends and caring for yourself.