DIRTY MAGIC

Joe is a frustrated older brother with a sister who gets into everything, including his models and Monster Magazines. Totally disgusted, he finally exclaims, “I wish you were dead!” and it looks as though his wish will come true when he wakes to find his sister vanished and his room turned into a muddy, rainy world. This land is ruled by three sisters beset by hatred and the use of war machines developed by “dirty inventor’s magic.” Here a fetcher, Katherine, arrives to lead him to safety and a guide named Spider. A blind man, Spider has magical abilities and, while Joe must be his eyes, Spider must give Joe clues about people and the route of their journey. In peril, Joe’s ignorance of the kingdoms at war is balanced by his knowledge of mechanics, sense of direction and self-reliance. Sickened by the misuse of power and the abuse of children, he plays a critical role in the fate of the two kingdoms. Eventually, he comes to understand that “people are more important than things,” as the intrigue of this fantasy world affects both him and the reader. (Fantasy. 10-14)