khourianya's review against another edition
5.0
Looking for a light, magical YA read? Half Magic might just be it.
Four siblings are having a plain old boring summer when one of them finds a nickel in the crack on the sidewalk. Then, a careless remark that she wished something exciting would happen and it actually sort of HAPPENS...that nickel turns out to not be a nickel at all...but a magic talisman that grants half wishes...
Suddenly summer isn't so boring anymore as the kids learn to ask for the adventures of their dreams. They discover that things can turn out quite differently than they ever expected and that a boring, regular life might not be so bad after all...
This is a really light, fun read. Not too long not too short. I think it would be perfect for 7-12 year olds, depending on their reading level. As it was first published in the 1950s, it deals with the realities of life for many children - in this instance, living with a widowed mother and accepting her eventual remarriage.
While it's not a very captivating read for an adult, it is still entertaining and I think for the YA crowd, it could become a new favourite.
Four siblings are having a plain old boring summer when one of them finds a nickel in the crack on the sidewalk. Then, a careless remark that she wished something exciting would happen and it actually sort of HAPPENS...that nickel turns out to not be a nickel at all...but a magic talisman that grants half wishes...
Suddenly summer isn't so boring anymore as the kids learn to ask for the adventures of their dreams. They discover that things can turn out quite differently than they ever expected and that a boring, regular life might not be so bad after all...
This is a really light, fun read. Not too long not too short. I think it would be perfect for 7-12 year olds, depending on their reading level. As it was first published in the 1950s, it deals with the realities of life for many children - in this instance, living with a widowed mother and accepting her eventual remarriage.
While it's not a very captivating read for an adult, it is still entertaining and I think for the YA crowd, it could become a new favourite.
jasonfurman's review against another edition
4.0
The first time I tried reading this to my 5 and 6 year olds they got bored and wanted to stop. This time my (now) 7 year old and I listened to the audiobook, which features a full cast recording of the unabridged book, and found it delightful--wonderfully intelligent children, humane, a nice image of fantasy in the United States, albeit thin on the plot and not overly inventive in world building. But a pleasant group to spend some time with.
lizbusby's review against another edition
5.0
Great children's fantasy. My kids loved listening to this. The half wishes were not as predictable as I thought they would be. The audiobook had a full cast audio, which I hate, and some of the kids' voices are annoying. But overall definitely a classic, and a fantasy my realistic kids were willing to listen to, so that's a bonus.
brighthappyness's review against another edition
3.0
Really fun and original premise, now I remember why it was one of my favorite books as a kid. Definitely could have done without the casual -isms but I guess it was 50s....other than that the cast of characters is great and though Mr Smith and the children's mother married fast I thought their interactions were pretty sweet.
lolajoan's review against another edition
4.0
I loved it. So charming and good-hearted and fun. I loved the little nods to other childrens' fantasy books, too. I think I'm going to buy a copy for my kids. :)
jessgock's review against another edition
5.0
How many of you knew about this book and never told me? This children's story about a group of siblings who discover a magic coin that turns out to work by halves, so that they have to learn how to wish for twice as much as they really want, absolutely blew me away. I was completely sucked into it and kept trying to foist it on other people after I was done. Run-don't-walk to read this one for yourself.
emily_miller's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book to my 6-year old. It is cute and has some subtle messages I think she might have missed but we both enjoyed it.
kylielovesbooks's review against another edition
5.0
This has always been one of my favorite books ever since elementary school. I'm so happy that I have decided to revisit this series.
kimkgray's review against another edition
4.0
Read this aloud with the kids (2 & 5). They really liked it. I had to do some editing, especially around the scene depicted on the cover where knights are hacked to pieces. But otherwise a good, fun read.
ashcarpelibrum's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0