Sister Magic: The Trouble with Violet (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Sister Magic: The Trouble with Violet Hope Morrison Mazer, Anne Sister Magic: The Trouble with Violet; illus. by Bill Brown. Scholastic, 2007 [112p] Paper ed. ISBN 978-0-439-87246-1$3.99 Reviewed from galleys Ad Gr. 2-3 The first in an anticipated series, this novel for early readers introduces sisters Mabel and Violet. Eight-year-old Mabel is organized, responsible, and presentable, and she's constantly irritated by five-year-old Violet, who is pretty much just the opposite. As the story begins, the girls receive a package from their uncle Vartan, a relative who occasionally sends gifts but whom they have never met. Around the same time, strange things begin to happen in their family: shoelaces untie themselves, wallets show up in freezers, Violet claims to be hearing voices. Soon Uncle Vartan himself manages a visit, disconcerting the girls' mother and departing suddenly (he disappears into midair, in fact); when Mabel finds out that Vartan "has magic," she quickly surmises that Violet may have it, too. Mazer, familiar from her series The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes, lays the groundwork for a new series here, making clear that its central conflict lies in the fact that messy little Violet has magical powers and sensible Mabel has to deal with it. That's an idea with undeniable sympathetic appeal, and the reading is accessible here as well. The buildup is extremely slow, however, and many readers, anticipating from the title a story of magical sisters, may abandon it long before this revelation in the final pages; Mom's confession that Vartan's magical abilities are why he's been kept away from his nieces is neither surprising nor exciting. The idea of a rambunctious younger sibling with the ability to use magic against her serious older sib is an intriguing one, though; let's hope the second book gets off to a brisker start. Final illustrations not seen. Copyright © 2007 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois