Reading is my ESCAPE from Reality!

 

"Some books are magic that way. Your body stays right here, hiding in a tree, tucked away in a closet, sitting up against a crumbling old building." Florentine grinned. "But good stories take your heart someplace else. My body'd never been out of south Georgia. But my heart lived everywhere. I'd live a hundred lives without ever leaving my tree.

--Chapter 14

Okay, so this story wasn't about the magic of reading, but I really liked that quote.

Felicity's mom doesn't like to stay in one place too long. They are forever moving to new towns and changing schools. Felicity and her little sister Frannie have gotten used to moving, but this time, they move to the town of Midnight Gulch, Tennessee. Mama grew up here and this town was full of magic. But now, most of the magic is gone - there is only a "snicker' of magic left. Felicity has a bit of her own magic, she sees words and collects them.

At exactly that moment, I saw my first word of the day:

Believe

The letters were made of melted sunshine. They dripped down the window glass, warm and tingly against our faces.

Felicity is a great character and her new friend Jonah is magical himself. He knows what people need and he helps them anonymously. Felicity meets a lot of magical people in Midnight Gulch.

This is a very cute story. I fell in love with Midnight Gulch, a quiet town that happens to make amazing ice cream (oh and it won't melt for 24 hours). Dr. Zook's ice cream, in 45 marvelous and mysterious flavors, including, Chocolate Chip Pork Rind, Orangie's Caramel Apple Pie and Andy's Snickerdoodle Sucker Punch. The ice cream has a bit of magic as well, one of the flavors even brings back memories. If this was a real place, I would want to live there.

In Midnight Gulch, Felicity finds family, a best friend and a sense of belonging. She doesn't want to move again. But how can she get Mama to stay? She can see the wandering look in Mama's eyes already. 

Home isn't just a house or a city or a place; home is what happens when you're brave enough to love people.

Recommended to:

Readers in grades 3-5 who like their realistic stories with a touch of magic.