Lulu's Hat - Softcover

Meddaugh, Susan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0618771271 ISBN 13: 9780618771271

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2006

Synopsis

While assisting Uncle Jerry the Great during the summer, Lulu, who was adopted into the True Magic Families, discovers that she has absolutely no talent for magic until she finds an old hat in the bottom of her uncle's costume trunk that takes her on a fantastical journey to Magic Space. Reprint.

About this title

About the Author

Susan Meddaugh was born and raised in Montclair, New Jersey. She graduated from Wheaton College, where she studied French literature and fine arts. After working briefly with an advertising agency in New York, she moved to Boston and worked at a publishing company for ten years, first as a designer, then art editor, and finally as art director. While there, she did the illustrations for GOOD STONES (Houghton Mifflin) by Anne Epstein, and then decided to strike out on her own as a freelance illustrator and creator of children's books. Since that time, Susan has written and illustrated many popular books for children, including MARTHA SPEAKS, which was chosen as a NEW YORK TIMES Best Illustrated Book for 1992. In 1998 she was awarded the New England Book Award, given by the New England Booksellers Association to recognize a body of work. Her work also was acknowledged with a New York Times Best Illustrated Award. She lives in Sherborn, Massachusetts.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-In a True Magic Family, only one child of each generation is born with the ability to be a real magician. Since Lulu is adopted and displays no aptitude for magic at all, her cousins regard it as a "wasted summer" when the 12-year-old is tapped to be Uncle Jerry the Great's assistant. A shiny black top hat she finds soon gives her the power and confidence to perform tricks. When Hereboy, a dog, disappears into it, Lulu bravely steps in after him. While she is meeting lost apprentices in Deep Magic Space, the topper is purloined by Earl, a nasty boy who uses it for mischief. In a number of hilarious vignettes, he struggles to find the right combination of magic words to make the hat work, releasing chaos. In an amazing series of final twists, Earl, his overbearing mother, Lulu, her long-lost brother, and Hereboy come together in a satisfying conclusion that solidifies the girl's credentials, reveals her True Family identity, and wrests the chapeau from the bad boy. With plot twists, cliff-hanger chapter endings, a large dose of originality, sparkling humor, and even an epilogue, this witty chapter book will hold readers' attention. Throughout, Meddaugh's accessible, black-and-white wash illustrations add to the child appeal and create visual punctuation for this dizzy tale of a good-hearted, plucky girl who discovers not only her magic, but friendship and family as well. Hats off to Lulu.
Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha's Public Library, WI
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0618771271
• ISBN 13: 9780618771271
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 74