SECONDHAND MAGIC

by Ruth Chew ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 15, 1982

A mild, flatly related story about a silk bird kite that Caroline and Paul Henderson find in Prospect Park. Clearly the kite, which they call Bird, has a will of its own; and after Caroline attaches a string of silk embroidery thread and mends the kite with a tube labeled magic glue, it takes the two children flying around Brooklyn. On a middle-of-the-night trip to Coney Island they meet the old wizard who made the kite in the first place. Later, again in Prospect Park, the wizard's magic tape and scissors, and Caroline's glue, make Paul's toy boat big enough to ride in, and then small again when park police come after them. There's a problem with Mr. Henderson making the children give Bird back to the old man, but the wizard fixes it SO the children can keep it. This old-fashioned form of fantasy flight might still be viable, but Chew's shapeless string of episodes doesn't take it far.

Pub Date: Oct. 15, 1982

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Holiday House

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1982

Categories: FICTION