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Fans of Magic Will Love Nothing Up My Sleeve
In Nothing Up My Sleeve, award-winning author Diana López brings us a story about magic. The kind of magic that comes with a top hat, a wand, and a bunny rabbit. But, like the best illusions, she also surprises her readers with a deeper magical narrative. The kind that goes beyond the glitz and glamor and abracadabra; the magic of friendship and family.
When a new magic shop, Conjuring Cats, opens up in Victoria, Texas, best buddies Loop, Z, and Dominic spend their summer learning the tricks of the trade. From card tricks to mind games, the three friends learn all they can to gain access to the Vault, a secret room in the back of the shop, where they’ll learn to be real magicians.
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Competitive by nature, the three boys are determined to best one another, especially when they learn about a teen magic competition at the end of the summer. But there can only be one winner and, as they learn the rules of magic, they start to see that the path to winning and losing is murkier than they thought.
Because learning how to read minds, conjure objects, and make them disappear is only half the battle. Z, the youngest child in a large, bustling family, has to figure out how to pay for the competition while feeling like nobody respects or listens to him. Loop must deal with the emotional fallout of finding out the man he thought was his biological Dad is really Rubén, someone his mother married right after he was born. And book smart Dominic, who has the answer to everything, can’t seem to figure out how to get his divorced parents talking again. Not to mention know-it-all Ariel, the shop-owner’s daughter, is sneaking around, tampering with the boys’ routines as well as their friendship.
Readers will find themselves rooting for the whole team, whose loyalty to one another, despite their competitive spirit, trumps all. This book is a treat for any kid who not only loves the magic of a great story, but is enamored with magic itself (and who isn’t?!). Nothing Up My Sleeve is also a gateway to becoming a magician. Each chapter begins with a helpful definition about the business of magic. The book features a list of performances to seek out if you want to be wowed further. And, there’s even a list of tricks to try at home.
With heart and humor, López weaves together the nuances of being a magician with the boys’ individual stories. And, together, the three boys make up a magic recipe; a combination of smarts, charisma, and hard work. Each of them brings their own strengths to their routines and tricks, but also to their personal problems. Just like Loop, Z, and Dominic, kids will come to believe there’s nothing a little magic can’t fix.