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Upside-Down Magic #1
Last updated Thursday, October 14, 2021
Author: Sarah Mlynowski and Lauren Myracle
Date of Publication: 2015
ISBN: 0545800455
Grade Level: 4th (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Oct. 2021
Synopsis:
It's never easy when your magic goes wonky. For Nory, this means that instead of being able to turn into a dragon or a kitten, she turns into both of them at the same time - a dritten.
For Elliott, the simple act of conjuring fire from his fingertips turns into a fully frozen failure. For Andres, wonky magic means he's always floating in the air, bouncing off the walls, or sitting on the ceiling. For Bax, a bad moment of magic will turn him into a . . . actually, he'd rather not talk about that.
Nory, Elliott, Andres, and Bax are just four of the students in Dunwiddle Magic School's Upside-Down Magic class. In their classroom, lessons are unconventional, students are unpredictable, and magic has a tendency to turn wonky at the worst possible moments. Because it's always amazing, the trouble a little wonky magic can cause...
| Discussion topics for before reading: |
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What kind of magic is "upside down"?
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Why is the kitten on the cover not upside down?
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Do you think the kitten is magic?
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Why does the kitten have wings?
Vocabulary
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headmaster - BRITISH (especially in private schools) the person in charge of a school; the principal.
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wonky - not functioning correctly; faulty.
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coleslaw - sliced raw cabbage mixed with mayonnaise and other vegetables, eaten as a salad.
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gargoyle - a grotesque carved human or animal face or figure projecting from the gutter of a building, typically acting as a spout to carry water clear of a wall.
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rigid - sitting very straight and tall; not flexible.
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stampede - a sudden panicked rush of a number of horses, cattle, or other animals.
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| Discussion topics for during/after reading: |
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Which type of magic in the book is the most interesting? The most useful?
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How do you think Nory's father would have helped if they had told him about her wonky magic before?
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What type of things did Nory learn from her Aunt Margo and the other school? How was this different from her brother, sister, and father's magic?
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*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions.
You can use them, but you don't have to use them.
You can expand upon them, or add your own twist.
Remember, though, that the focus of your time should
not be on the development and execution of a craft;
the focus should be on the read-aloud and the
enjoyment of the book!
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