My review for Teeny Houdini V01 The Disappearing Act: kids will enjoy this second to young third grade read. However, the character attitudes might be a turn off for adults. I could add that Katrina Moore is the author of the book and Zoe Si adds the black and white illustrations.
That was 51 words. Only 200 to go.
I will also add that this book is about a girl named Bessie. She has a wonderful but conveniently only speaks Chinese, grandmother. Gramma has a best friend who only speaks Arabic. We talk about some of the foods that Gramma makes. But other than saying stinky melon or the type of soup, that is as far as that goes.
The plot is Bessie wants to be a magician for the first-grade talent show. Never mind she has no idea how to do magic, never mind she cannot even read the book her grandmother gave her, never mind she took her big sisters favorite blanket to make into a cape, never mind the mess in the hallway she made when she was getting the craft box. Of course, there is a bully, classroom high jinks, and a pet rabbit named Baby Rabbit.
The publisher description calls Bessie “impulsive.” That is a polite way of saying it. I hope that others find her charming as I did not. I understand being six/seven and being energetic, but there is such a thing as too much. And I really do not think Bessie learns her lesson. Except that Moore says she has, and miraculously the talent show goes (almost) perfectly.
I am wondering if this is what Junie B. Jones was a few years ago? All I can say is if you want, find the book, find your reader, and see what they say. Don’t take my word for it.