Monday, November 28, 2016

The Wrong Side of Magic by Janette Rallison - ESSENTIAL


Rallison, Janette. The Wrong Side of Magic.  323 pages.  Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan Press), 2016.  $16.99.  

Language: G.  Violence: PG.  Sexual Content: G. 
Hudson is just an ordinary kid, until the day his sister accepts a magical object from their weird neighbor Charlotte.  The compass takes him to another world where he accidentally accepts a cursed troll object.  He returns to his world to learn that the only way to rid himself of the object is to give it away (and curse someone else) or to give it to the Princess Nomira in Logos.  The only catch, is that the princess is missing.  Her evil uncle, King Vaygran, banished her and took control of the throne.  Charlotte agrees to help Hudson get rid of the troll mirror, if he agrees to find the princess.  They set off to the land of Logos where they have adventures in the Forest of Possibilities, take a boat ride in the Sea of Life, give a year away of their lives at the Cliff of Faces, steal a sword from the king in Grammaria, travel through the Land of Desolation and the Land of Backwords where they find a tower that once held the princess.  Charlotte is captured and Hudson comes to her rescue and the princess’s. 

Janette Rallison creates a world-building, delightfully whimsical, adventure with characters that are unforgettable and places that are positively magical.  Hudson asks, “Why do the people here love words so much?”  Charlotte answers, “Words have power.  People who know how to use them wield that power.”  The words are used for good and bad, creativity and humor.  Hudson’s character development is well-paced and gives the subtle, but important message of being nice and standing up for others.  Highly recommended for both boys or girls. 
EL-ESSENTIAL.  

Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS. 

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