The Wrong Side of Magic - Hardcover

Janette Rallison is the author of many books for young readers, including My Fair Godmother. She also writes YA novels under the pseudonym C. J. Hill. She lives in Chandler, Arizona, with her husband and five children and enough cats to classify her as "an eccentric cat lady."

Gr 4–6—Hudson Brown hasn't believed in magic in a long time. But when his sister Bonnie's cat gets sick, Hudson winds up in a magical world trying to get medicine for it, all thanks to a compass given to him by his kooky neighbor Charlotte. In the magical world called Logos, the rules are determined by words, thoughts, and memories. Visitors can pay a fairy to ferry them across a river by offering up a memory or have a delicious pastry made up of the word friendship. Just watch out—the unicorns help only the ones who are pure of heart. Cursed by trolls, Hudson needs Charlotte's help. The catch is, the only way to get rid of the curse is to find Logos's long-missing princess. Similar in concept to Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth, this title expands upon the idea of a world ruled by wordplay. Logos is intriguing and whimsical. In order to get to the Cliff of Faces for answers, Hudson and Charlotte must choose the right boat: Will "love" get them across, or will the boat marked "strength" get them there? The adventure itself is enjoyable as Hudson and Charlotte work together to find Princess Nomira. The action has moments of intensity, but the heroes are able to get out of their scrapes relatively quickly. Readers will relish figuring out the nuances of Logos along with Hudson. VERDICT A good purchase for readers of lighthearted fantasy adventure books.—Paige Garrison, Augusta Richmond County Library System, GA