Jun 252013
Waiting for the Magic
People may drift apart, but love can hold them together. A touching tale of pets and family told in the “venerable spare and moving style” of Newbery Medalist Patricia MacLachlan, author of Sarah, Plain and Tall (Booklist).When William’s father leaves, his mother promptly goes out and adds four dogs and a cat to their lives. William’s sure that nothing can fill the hole left by his father, but the new additions to the family are determined to help. With his sister, Elinor, and his mother
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Magical and Poignant,
When Will and Elinor’s father walks out, leaving only a note and a lot of unanswered questions, it seems like everything is changing – and not for the better. Then, Will’s mother drops the biggest surprise of all when she announces they are adopting a dog. A trip to the local shelter results in not just one dog, but four dogs and a cat. It seems like all these dogs are taking the place of Will’s father, which is okay with him because these dogs (and cat) are special. If you are young enough, old enough or brave enough then you will discover their secret – they can talk!
This is a very slight read at only 143 large font pages, but it certainly packs an emotional punch. Will, with his anger at his father and his worry for his mother is a very realistic character and the author does a fine job of portraying his emotions in a way that will ring true to any reader. Elli is a delight, with her steadfast belief in magic. She is the only one who truly believes in magic from the beginning, and her honesty and love shines through in her dialogue. The parents are sympathetic, but the author does not give them a free pass, pointing out the father’s flaws, and making him earn back his family’s trust. The mother is portrayed as earnest and caring, but she sometimes slips as well in her efforts to make everything okay for her children.
This is a great story about a family coming back together and discovering that magic exists not only in a group of animals that talk, but also in their love for each other. I wasn’t sure the author would be able to combine the magical elements with such a real world problem of an absent parent, but she pulled it off pretty much without a hitch, making this a story that will provide comfort for any young child facing this situation. This is an excellent choice for any child grade 3 and up who enjoys realistic fiction with a bit of a twist.
If fault could be found, it might be in that the problems between the parents seemed to be resolved a bit too quickly and easily. The feel good ending is a great pay off though, the dogs are cute and funny, and all the emotions are authentic and touching. The writing is often times lyrical, and I guarantee any kiddo who reads it will promptly ask their mother if they can go out and adopt dogs – maybe four… and a cat. Recommended.
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|Amazing,
Waiting for the Magic What an incredible story. I don’t like to retell the story in my reviews, you can read the summary from the product link.
I think this is a very well written story. I can understand why Ms. MacLachlan in a Newberry Medal winner.
Poignant is a great word for this book. The characters are likeable, especially the animals. I found myself
laughing out loud at Elinor and her ideas. I strongly recommend this book to everyone.
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|Sweet with just a touch of magic.,
I’ll admit when I started reading this I didn’t really like it, it seemed to unbelievable, I mean adopting FIVE animals after the father walks out. How realistic is that? But by the time I finished the story, MacLachlan had won me over. Yes, the book is not necessarily realistic in terms of the practical nature of real life, but at the same time the emotions it projects are very real. The anger that William feels toward his father, the confusion of his younger sister, Elinor, seem all too real.
The talking animals threw me for a loop at first, but gradually the humor and insights of the dogs made me smile. The dogs seem to represent the ‘magic’ of the title, but not in the way one might think. The talking dogs do of course move this book into the fantasy genre, but it doesn’t feel like fantasy. The predominant feeling is one of hope, love, and forgiveness and how people can change when they have the support of loved ones. It’s interesting that the book should have such a light, gentle touch considering it’s dealing with a hard subject (parental conflict and separation), but the comfort the characters receive through their adopted pets makes the book a good one to share with students not ready for heavier, darker treatments of the same subject.
I recommend this book for students who like slower paced, gentle reads with adorable characters.
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