Magic For Sale - Hardcover

Clickard, Carrie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0823435598 ISBN 13: 9780823435593

Publisher: Holiday House, 2017

Synopsis

On the corner of Hemlock and Blight, the magic shop of Miss Pustula Night is open for business.


Creepy curiosities and endless enchantments fill the shelves, but it’s the rumor of a shop ghost that really has kids excited. Brave Georgie McQuist has been double-dared to find the phantom, and he's up to the task-- but he never expected that he'd give the ghost a fright!

Together, boy and ghost take on the task of cataloging every last treasure in Miss Pustula's crowded and cavernous cellar, down to the last spell and skeleton-- but what will the witch do when she catches them there?

The deliciously spooky, tongue-twistingly clever rhymes in this story are illustrated in lavish detail-- each creep and kraken crawls across the pages, and Miss Night's shelves are crowded with pickled elves and dusty potions.

From the first friendly fright to the last lurking ghoul, this adventure is perfect for Halloween. . . and beyond.

About this title

About the Author:

Carrie Clickard is the author of several picture books and works of poetry for children. In addition to writing, she finds magic in drawing, traveling, baton twirling, and puzzle solving. She lives in Florida with her exuberant dog.

John Shelley is an award-winning artist who has illustrated more than twenty books, including Crinkle, Crackle, Crack and Halloween Forest by Marion Dane Bauer. In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews praised Halloween Forest for its "superbly detailed illustrations." He lives in Norwich in the United Kingdom.

From School Library Journal:

K-Gr 2—Georgie McQuist has been double dared to enter the scariest place around, a shop filled with oddities and marvels that will fascinate young readers. There, he meets a trapped ghost tasked with inventorying the shop. Georgie isn't scared, though, so he promptly begins to help his new friend, checking off each item like so: "flutes that play a banshee's wails, armor made of dragon scales, talking owls complete with tree, a book on ancient alchemy." With the task complete, all that's left is to meet the owner. After introducing a moment of suspense, the author produces a satisfying twist and a funny conclusion—children will love what Georgie brings in for show-and-tell. The book is told in alternating poetic schemes: first limericks, then rhyming pairs, then limericks again. The illustrations are just as whimsical, with their layers upon layers of occult items. Despite the clutter of Miss Pustula Night's shop, India ink clearly distinguishes the objects from one another. This also proves to be a wise design choice because many of the spreads feature a different complementary palette of watercolors. Georgie himself always pops out, thanks to the assorted colors that make up his geeky adventurer's garb. VERDICT For children who always have their heads in the clouds, this title will whisk them away with its fantastical setting and fun rhymes.—Rachel Forbes, Oakville Public Library, Ont.

About this edition

• Publisher: Holiday House
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0823435598
• ISBN 13: 9780823435593
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Shelley John