A taste of magic

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A taste of magic

Title:

A taste of magic

Author:

Elle, J., author.

Series:

Park Row Magick Academy ;

Series Number:

Summary:

Kyana Turner has just found out the family secret--she's a witch! This means mandatory lessons every Saturday at Park Row Magick Academy, the magic school hidden in the back of her local beauty shop. Learning spells, discovering charms and potion recipes, and getting a wand made to match her hair's curl pattern, Kyana feels like she's a part of something really special. The hardest part will be keeping her magic a secret from non-Magick folks, including her BFF, Nae. But when the school loses funding, the students must either pay a hefty tuition at the academy across town or have their magic stripped . . . permanently. Determined not to let that happen, Kyana comes up with a plan to win a huge cash prize in a baking competition. After all, she's learned how to make the best desserts from her memaw. But as Kyana struggles to keep up with magic and regular school, prepare for the competition, and keep her magic secret, she wonders if it's possible to save her friendships, too. And what will she do when, in the first round of competition, a forbidden dollop of magic whisks into her cupcakes? -- Amazon.

Audience:

Grades 4-6. Bloomsbury Children's Books.

General Note:

Series information from Goodreads.

Physical Description:

357 pages ; 22 cm.

Genre:

Magic realist fiction.

Fantasy fiction.

Subject Term:

Magic -- Juvenile fiction.

Baking -- Juvenile fiction.

Contests -- Juvenile fiction.

Middle schools -- Juvenile fiction.

Schools -- Juvenile fiction.

African Americans -- Juvenile fiction.

Publisher:

Bloomsbury Children's Books,

Publication Date:

2022

ISBN:

9781547606719

Publication Information:

New York : Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2022.

Call Number:

M ELLE

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003636308	Middle Fiction	ELLE	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

"An enchanting adventure that will leave readers hungry for more." - Kwame Mbalia, #1 New York Times bestselling author

New York Times bestselling author J. Elle makes her middle grade debut in this magical new series about a Black girl who learns she's a witch and must save her inner-city magic school from closing, perfect for fans of Wendy Mass.

Kyana Turner has just found out the family secret--she's a witch! This means mandatory lessons every Saturday at Park Row Magick Academy, the magic school hidden in the back of her local beauty shop. Learning spells, discovering charms and potion recipes, and getting a wand made to match her hair's curl pattern, Kyana feels like she's a part of something really special. The hardest part will be keeping her magic a secret from non-Magick folks, including her BFF, Nae.

But when the school loses funding, the students must either pay a hefty tuition at the academy across town or have their magic stripped . . . permanently. Determined not to let that happen, Kyana comes up with a plan to win a huge cash prize in a baking competition. After all, she's learned how to make the best desserts from her memaw. But as Kyana struggles to keep up with magic and regular school, prepare for the competition, and keep her magic secret, she wonders if it's possible to save her friendships, too. And what will she do when, in the first round of competition, a forbidden dollop of magic whisks into her cupcakes?

J. Elle's debut middle grade fantasy is full of humor, heart, and mouthwatering desserts.

Author Notes

J. Elle is the New York Times bestselling author of the YA novels Wings of Ebony and Ashes of Gold and is an advocate for marginalized voices in both publishing and her community. Born in Houston, Texas, J. is a first-generation college student with a Bachelor of Journalism and Master of Arts in Educational Administration and Human Development. Her passion for empowering youth dates back before writing to her first career in education. She's worked as a Preschool Director, Middle School Teacher, and High School Creative Writing Mentor. In her spare time you'll find her volunteering at an alternative school, providing feedback for aspiring writers, loving on her three littles, or cooking up some dish true to her Texas and Louisiana roots.
authorjelle.com
@AuthorJ_Elle

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

A Black sixth grader with a lot on her plate goes up against professional cooks in this whimsical culinary fantasy. Finally old enough to be in on the family secret, Kyana Turner learns around her 12th birthday that she's a witch. She's excited to train her blossoming magic--white sparks that "fizz from my fingertips"--during her mandatory training at Park Row Magick Academy, a free Saturday school run out of the back of a Black-owned beauty salon. But magic must be kept a secret, and the necessary lies Kyana tells to keep hers under wraps begin to take a toll, as do her dropping math grades and looking after her increasingly forgetful grandmother, Memaw, while Momma works. When the magic school faces threat of shutdown, the students' families must either find a way to swing tuition at another academy or be sanitized of their magic. Desperate to save her school, Kyana enters a baking competition with a $50,000 grand prize--where using her powers backfires, threatening the powers of Park Row's magical residents. Successfully illustrating themes of class separation and economic opportunity across a mostly Black cast, Elle (Wings of Ebony) builds a story of familial love and friendship and tops it with pure culinary enthusiasm. Ages 8--11. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (Aug.)