Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Little, Brown and Company
Pages
351
Description
Fantasy. Juvenile Fiction. Juvenile Literature. HTML:The magical, bestselling series from Pseudonymous Bosch, the author of the Secret Series! Magic is BAD. As in fake. Cheesy. Unreal. At least, that's what Clay, who has seen one magic show too many, thinks. When words from his journal appear mysteriously on his school wall as graffiti, he never imagines that magic might be to blame. And when the same graffiti lands him at Earth Ranch, a camp for "troubled" kids on a remote volcanic island, magic is the last thing he expects to find there. But at Earth Ranch, there is one strange surprise after another, until Clay no longer knows what to expect. Is he really talking to a llama? Did he really see a ghost? What is the scary secret hidden in the abandoned library? The only thing he knows for sure is that behind the clouds of vog (volcanic smog), nothing is as it seems. Can he solve the riddle of Earth Ranch before trouble erupts? Elusive author Pseudonymous Bosch introduces an extraordinary new series that will have you believing in the unbelievable.… (more)
Series
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2014-09
Physical description
351 p.; 7.6 inches
ISBN
0316320390 / 9780316320399
Similar in this library
Lexile
730L
User reviews
LibraryThing member vcg610
Pseudonymous Bosch has authored a witty mystery for middle schoolers in the vein of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events. Bosch writes from a personal perspective but does not reveal the narrator's relationship to the featured characters right away.
Bosch uses wry humor and a comfortable
He has recently performed in a school play, The Tempest, by William Shakespeare, which also involves magic. Before the reader even realizes it, Bosch is sharing/teaching about the play in a most entertaining way which moves the plot of the book right along. Bosch uses footnotes (super easy in the e-version) to define words or add details in his witty style, making one not want to miss a single footnote!
But Clay's life hits a downward spiral when graffiti appears on a wall at school and everyone believes he did it. He knows he didn't, but neither the school administrators nor his parents believe him. The school insists that the parents see that he faces "consequences" for the action, and that's how he gets sent to a summer camp for wayward kids.
And THAT'S where the magic and the mystery both kick in! Entertaining and likeable characters with clever dialog make this an enjoyable read from cover to cover...not to mention that one just might learn how to's on some magic tricks along the way, or even give Shakespeare a chance!
I received a pre-publication e-book from NetGalley. The book should be available where books are sold in September 2014, so be looking for it.
Bosch uses wry humor and a comfortable
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story telling style to introduce protagonist Clay, a 12 year old familiar with magic since his preschool days. But since his older brother with whom he shared the pursuit of magic mysteriously left home, he has left the hobby behind. Clay and his brother have attached some meanings to words they use to describe magic, so that Bad Magic really means good, or impressive, or even awesome, magic. But now Clay feels like bad magic means cheesy and fake.He has recently performed in a school play, The Tempest, by William Shakespeare, which also involves magic. Before the reader even realizes it, Bosch is sharing/teaching about the play in a most entertaining way which moves the plot of the book right along. Bosch uses footnotes (super easy in the e-version) to define words or add details in his witty style, making one not want to miss a single footnote!
But Clay's life hits a downward spiral when graffiti appears on a wall at school and everyone believes he did it. He knows he didn't, but neither the school administrators nor his parents believe him. The school insists that the parents see that he faces "consequences" for the action, and that's how he gets sent to a summer camp for wayward kids.
And THAT'S where the magic and the mystery both kick in! Entertaining and likeable characters with clever dialog make this an enjoyable read from cover to cover...not to mention that one just might learn how to's on some magic tricks along the way, or even give Shakespeare a chance!
I received a pre-publication e-book from NetGalley. The book should be available where books are sold in September 2014, so be looking for it.
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LibraryThing member vibrantminds
Clay did not want any attention drawn to him so when the words “Magic Sucks” appear on the school he is a bit troubled. Clay did not like magic ever since his older brother disappeared. Magic was there bond and when his brother left the magic left with him. Clay is sent to a summer camp for
The story had much potential but I found the story lacking. The story felt incomplete with all the transitions and needed to be expanded on. There were several ways the story could have turned but all fell flat leaving the reader to wonder the importance of that section. The ending was a disappointment and the vastness of how it was played out was unrealistic. I was hoping for a bit more magic and mystery but all in all very disappointing since there was little magic and the mystery all washed out.
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troubled kids in order to avoid being expelled from school, Earth Ranch located on a volcanic island. Once there he finds there is a mystery to be solved and delves in to unraveling it only to realize in the end the camp was not what it appeared to be. The story had much potential but I found the story lacking. The story felt incomplete with all the transitions and needed to be expanded on. There were several ways the story could have turned but all fell flat leaving the reader to wonder the importance of that section. The ending was a disappointment and the vastness of how it was played out was unrealistic. I was hoping for a bit more magic and mystery but all in all very disappointing since there was little magic and the mystery all washed out.
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LibraryThing member kgriffith
Pseudonymous Bosch delivers another fun-filled romp with Bad Magic. With the plays on words and snarky tone we've come to love from the author's previous offerings, Bad Magic is a delight that middle readers and older fans alike will enjoy. I particularly enjoy the use of footnotes to insert quirky
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comments and sly asides. Great fun! Show Less
LibraryThing member sszkutak
I am not sure what to think of this book. It started out so fun... a journal that may be magic, Clay the main character being a hater of magic, Shakespeare, being stuck on an island... all things that I was excited to read on about. I guess the ending just all kinds of threw me for a loop and now I
Clay has been given a journal and by some crazy turn of events, what he has written in the journal has appeared on a wall at school as graffiti. He is briskly shipped off to an island camp called Earth Ranch were he has a llama in his care, has to eat loads of vegetables, and he cannot go outside the Wall of Trust - the boundary of the camp.
The lure of the mysterious palace that lies outside of the boundary pulls Clay into a crazy tale of ghosts, a rich man, and a library... but all of this is even more crazy because of how he landed at the camp in the first place. Is there really magic? Is everyone crazy?
I felt like this book was a whirlwind of crazy ideas, information and people. It was very creative story and I loved the interspersing of Shakespeare throughout. I really liked Clay. I liked where the story was headed and found myself hoping for a certain ending... what I got was not what I expected. It was fun but almost over the top silly. I wish I could tell you more but think I would overly spoil it for future readers. I enjoyed the book but it wasn't one of my favorites.
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am torn.Clay has been given a journal and by some crazy turn of events, what he has written in the journal has appeared on a wall at school as graffiti. He is briskly shipped off to an island camp called Earth Ranch were he has a llama in his care, has to eat loads of vegetables, and he cannot go outside the Wall of Trust - the boundary of the camp.
The lure of the mysterious palace that lies outside of the boundary pulls Clay into a crazy tale of ghosts, a rich man, and a library... but all of this is even more crazy because of how he landed at the camp in the first place. Is there really magic? Is everyone crazy?
I felt like this book was a whirlwind of crazy ideas, information and people. It was very creative story and I loved the interspersing of Shakespeare throughout. I really liked Clay. I liked where the story was headed and found myself hoping for a certain ending... what I got was not what I expected. It was fun but almost over the top silly. I wish I could tell you more but think I would overly spoil it for future readers. I enjoyed the book but it wasn't one of my favorites.
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LibraryThing member AB4Books
This amazing book was about a clumsy boy named Clay. When he was little, Clay shouted a very bad word in the public. From that day on, whenever Max-Ernest, his brother, did a magic trick, Clay would say that bad word as a joke instead of a magic word. They were good brothers and happily together,
In Clay’s middle school year, he saw 2 words “Magic Sucks!” on the school wall that he wrote exactly in his journal the night before. Clay’s Latin teacher, Mr. Bailey, suspected him for the whole school year. At the end of the year, a letter from Mr. Bailey about some camps he should go to while his family is having a conversation. His parents told him that if he didn’t pick a camp to go to for the summer, he couldn’t go to 7th grade. So, Clay picked a camp located on a remote island near Hawaii where kids can feed llamas and climb a volcano. It also said the island was owned by a very rich person named Randolph Price.
His journey to was full of coinincedence A couple of days later, he boarded a seaplane named Tempest. He was very surprised because he just did a play with Mr. Bailey called the Tempest. When he got on, a man named Skipper and his dog, Gilligan, greeted him. He was surprised again because Gilligan was also from the Tempest. When he arrived on the island a couple of hours later, they landed on the water near the island and Skipper threw him, his backpack and a box that he told him to get to the camp. Unexpectedly, Skipper left!! Now Clay thought that he was marooned and doomed until he meets a llama on the shore. He then follows him all the way to a weird place. Suddenly, the llama disappears. Then he sees a boy in a newspaper boy hat. It turns out that it was a girl and the one that took the llama. She says that her name was Leira. Then, she leads him to the camp that was protected by a beautiful lake. When he gets to his cabin, The Worms, he finds out that he made a big mistake of coming. The other 3 boys looked as they came from a garbage bin rock band. The next morning, he wakes up very early. When he looks in to the other beds, he sees nobody, suddenly; his counselor comes in and tells him that everybody was weeding and that they start at 5 am, so that they don’t get hot. A couple of days later, Clay went to the bathroom at night with his other cabin mate when he met another older boy from another cabin. His name was Flint. Then, he saw on the mirror the exact same handwriting as it appeared at school but it said “MAGIC ROCKS!” The next day, he asked his counselor if he could walk his llama to the abandoned house next to the camp that used to be owned by Randolph Price. He said yes but told him to not enter it. When he gets to the house, his llama ran in to the bounders. Clay had no choice but to run in after him. When he crossed, he saw a girl reading a book inside. So, he went in to investigate. While he was inside the house, the door that he used to get in opened. Will Clay get in big trouble or will he manage to escape and find out what the thing was that was opening the door to the fence and why the camp seemed so mysterious to him?
My favorite character was Flint because he seems very mysterious and he seems to be up to something. Also, he was an amazing illusionist, which he tells Clay later in the book. If I were the author, I would change the end because it doesn’t seem right to end the story without Clay seeing Max-Ernest.
I would recommend this book to 3rd to 6th grade readers. I would also love to rate this book 9 out of 10.
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but sadly, soon Max-Ernest disappears years without leaving a clue to Clay.In Clay’s middle school year, he saw 2 words “Magic Sucks!” on the school wall that he wrote exactly in his journal the night before. Clay’s Latin teacher, Mr. Bailey, suspected him for the whole school year. At the end of the year, a letter from Mr. Bailey about some camps he should go to while his family is having a conversation. His parents told him that if he didn’t pick a camp to go to for the summer, he couldn’t go to 7th grade. So, Clay picked a camp located on a remote island near Hawaii where kids can feed llamas and climb a volcano. It also said the island was owned by a very rich person named Randolph Price.
His journey to was full of coinincedence A couple of days later, he boarded a seaplane named Tempest. He was very surprised because he just did a play with Mr. Bailey called the Tempest. When he got on, a man named Skipper and his dog, Gilligan, greeted him. He was surprised again because Gilligan was also from the Tempest. When he arrived on the island a couple of hours later, they landed on the water near the island and Skipper threw him, his backpack and a box that he told him to get to the camp. Unexpectedly, Skipper left!! Now Clay thought that he was marooned and doomed until he meets a llama on the shore. He then follows him all the way to a weird place. Suddenly, the llama disappears. Then he sees a boy in a newspaper boy hat. It turns out that it was a girl and the one that took the llama. She says that her name was Leira. Then, she leads him to the camp that was protected by a beautiful lake. When he gets to his cabin, The Worms, he finds out that he made a big mistake of coming. The other 3 boys looked as they came from a garbage bin rock band. The next morning, he wakes up very early. When he looks in to the other beds, he sees nobody, suddenly; his counselor comes in and tells him that everybody was weeding and that they start at 5 am, so that they don’t get hot. A couple of days later, Clay went to the bathroom at night with his other cabin mate when he met another older boy from another cabin. His name was Flint. Then, he saw on the mirror the exact same handwriting as it appeared at school but it said “MAGIC ROCKS!” The next day, he asked his counselor if he could walk his llama to the abandoned house next to the camp that used to be owned by Randolph Price. He said yes but told him to not enter it. When he gets to the house, his llama ran in to the bounders. Clay had no choice but to run in after him. When he crossed, he saw a girl reading a book inside. So, he went in to investigate. While he was inside the house, the door that he used to get in opened. Will Clay get in big trouble or will he manage to escape and find out what the thing was that was opening the door to the fence and why the camp seemed so mysterious to him?
My favorite character was Flint because he seems very mysterious and he seems to be up to something. Also, he was an amazing illusionist, which he tells Clay later in the book. If I were the author, I would change the end because it doesn’t seem right to end the story without Clay seeing Max-Ernest.
I would recommend this book to 3rd to 6th grade readers. I would also love to rate this book 9 out of 10.
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LibraryThing member Jennifer35k
Like many other people with a pragmatic mind, I tend to lean toward the logical side of everyday life. I am not one to jump to conclusions nor am I quick to judge a person’s character. I am ever searching for the truth behind the realness in the paranormal or magical, but believe most are the
I found this book to be a very smooth and steady read. I became engrossed in the story very easily and was able to imagine the characters in my mind with ease. I believe that any age group could have a good time with the book and I plan on passing it over to my children. I was surprised by the end of the story and did not expect it to end as it did. This was a nice surprise for me! I look forward to seeing other books in this series from the author. I want to thank both Goodreads and the author for sending this book to me in a giveaway. It was much appreciated and I highly recommend this book to anyone. I would also recommend this book for extra reading for homeschool families.
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creations of the human mind. I, like so many people, want to believe in something special; that will prove in the finality that there is more to life than just this mundane everyday existence. This story is about a boy named Clay who leans toward the logical side of life. He too shares the belief that magic is an illusion and the paranormal is formed through thought persuasion. He is a gifted child that has often felt awkward around others which makes him appeared troubled. Clay has quietly struggled with personal demons and has been let down by those he loved. Through his pain he sought to soothe his soul by writing in a journal and practicing his graphic art. However, much to his surprise, he begins to find his work being copied on the school’s walls and an expulsion in his future. In order to save his academic career, his parents agree to send him to a camp for troubled youth known as Earth Ranch. I found this book to be a very smooth and steady read. I became engrossed in the story very easily and was able to imagine the characters in my mind with ease. I believe that any age group could have a good time with the book and I plan on passing it over to my children. I was surprised by the end of the story and did not expect it to end as it did. This was a nice surprise for me! I look forward to seeing other books in this series from the author. I want to thank both Goodreads and the author for sending this book to me in a giveaway. It was much appreciated and I highly recommend this book to anyone. I would also recommend this book for extra reading for homeschool families.
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LibraryThing member Dmtcer
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review. The book is written in a style easily read by upper elementary and middle readers. It's a book of magic, mystery and adventure - all the current rage for readers of this age.
In a story that reminded me a little of Louis Sachar's Holes,
In a story that reminded me a little of Louis Sachar's Holes,
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young Clay gets in trouble for something he did not do. His choice is to be expelled from school, or spend the summer at a camp for troubled kids. From his first step on the island (after wading through the lagoon first), Clay's adventure begins. He is met, not by a camp director as expected, but by a real live camel that spits on him, but escorts him to the main camp site. Clay has to decide for himself if the mysteries surrounding the camp are real or if they are indeed magic. Show Less
LibraryThing member grandpahobo
I wanted to read this to see if it was appropriate for my grandson. There is certainly nothing about the story to make me hesitate to give it to him. I do wonder if he will find, as I did, the end lacking any real punch.
Call number
J4A.Bos