A Snicker of Magic

by Natalie Lloyd

Overview

Natalie Lloyd's SPINDIDDLY debut novel, now in paperback!

A Snicker of Magic joins the Scholastic Gold line, which features award-winning and beloved novels. Includes exclusive bonus content!Midnight Gulch used to be a magical place, a town where people could sing up thunderstorms and dance up sunflowers. But that was long ago, before a curse drove the magic away. Twelve-year-old Felicity knows all about things like that; her nomadic mother is cursed with a wandering heart.But when she arrives in Midnight Gulch, Felicity thinks her luck's about to change. A "word collector," Felicity sees words everywhere—-shining above strangers, tucked into church eves, and tangled up her dog's floppy ears—-but Midnight Gulch is the first place she's ever seen the word "home." And then there's Jonah, a mysterious, spiky-haired do-gooder who shimmers with words Felicity's never seen before, words that make Felicity's heart beat a little faster. Felicity wants to stay in Midnight Gulch more than anything, but first, she'll need to figure out how to bring back the magic, breaking the spell that's been cast over the town . . . and her mother's broken heart.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545552738
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	04/28/2015
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	42,701
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Natalie Lloyd lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She collects old books, listens to bluegrass music, and loves exploring quirky mountain towns with her dog, Biscuit. She is the author of A Snicker of Magic and The Key to Extraordinary.

Read an Excerpt

From A Snicker of Magic

Mama slowed the van and leaned her arm across me. "Take a look, June Bug. We're here." She pointed to a sign that somebody'd painted up and shoved sideways into the hillside. A flickering spotlight shone up at the words:

Midnight Gulch, TennesseeA Proper Place to Call Home

"Used to read different, before they painted over it," Mama said. "It used to say—"

"A magical place to call home." I whispered. I didn't need her to tell me. I could already see the word, MAGICAL, shining as bright as sunshine-letters, even through all those layers of paint. I could see other words too. The stars above us spelled out:

summerwonderhomespun

I heard a poem tangled up inside a rush of the midnight songs the crickets were whistling:

Finally,At last,Forever, and now,Here you are.

I didn't say another word to Mama that night, but I could feel something good even then: the YES in my heart, the swirling-around in my belly, the prickly, tingling all the way from the freckle on my finger to the tip of my pinky-toe. That much wonderful could only mean one thing:

There was still magic in Midnight Gulch.

This is how I turned it loose . . .

Editorial Reviews

Praise for A Snicker of Magic * "This tale offers all [the] earmarks of fine storytelling, including colorful, eccentric characters, an original, highly likable narrator and a mighty "spindiddly"plot." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review* "From every angle, Lloyd's first novel sparkles and radiates warmth . . . Working in the folksy vein of Ingrid Law's Savvy, Lloyd offers a reassuring, homespun story about self-expression and the magic that resides in one's mind and heart." — Publishers Weekly, starred review* "A delightful and inspiring debut . . . Mibs Beaumont and her magically gifted clan from Ingrid Law's Savvy would feel right at home here. As Felicity loves to say, "Yes...yes...yes!" — School Library Journal, starred review

From the Publisher

…whimsical and bewitching…Thankfully, this is not one of those books where all roads lead to one triumphant and redemptive moment. Lloyd's story takes many unexpected twists and turns…A Snicker of Magic covers wholesome, warm-fuzzy territory in a quirky, cheerful way. It should be read aloud for maximum enjoyment, with a pen handy to jot down new words…Young spelling enthusiasts, Scrabble lovers, Boggle big leaguers and word people of the world—hang on for the ride! Felicity Pickle will take you places, and that, fellow logophiles, is spindiddly, indeed.

The New York Times Book Review - Elisabeth Egan

★ 01/13/2014
From every angle, Lloyd’s first novel sparkles and radiates warmth. Felicity Juniper Pickle, 12, feels an immediate kinship with the town of Midnight Gulch, Tenn., the latest place her itinerant mother has brought Felicity, her almost-six-year-old sister, Frannie Jo, and their dog Biscuit. The remote mountain town has a history interwoven with secret magic, but most of it seems to have evaporated years ago following a dual between a pair of famous magician brothers, which divided a family and resulted in a curse. Felicity’s immediate concerns lay with her mother’s sadness and her insistence on constantly uprooting the family. With the help of Felicity’s new friend Jonah, who has his own secret magic that he works on Midnight Gulch; the stories that Felicity collects from various townspeople; and Felicity’s ability to see words that reflect people’s hidden thoughts and desires) she tries to save both the town and her own family. Working in the folksy vein of Ingrid Law’s Savvy, Lloyd offers a reassuring, homespun story about self-expression and the magic that resides in one’s mind and heart. Ages 8–12. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary & Media. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 01/01/2014
Gr 4–7—A delightful and inspiring debut. Mama has a wandering heart, which means that 12-year-old Felicity Pickle and her little sister, Frannie Jo, have wandered along with her in their battered van. But Midnight Gulch feels like home, and not just because it's where Mama grew up. It's one of those quirky little towns where there just might be magic. It's the characters that make this story shine: gruff Aunt Cleo and her tongue-tied swain; Oliver and Ponder, purveyors of unusual ice cream and baked goods, respectively; Jewell Pickett, hair-stylist and auto-mechanic extraordinaire; and her son Jonah, who has the amazing ability to make things better for anybody, despite his own difficulties. And Felicity, who sees words everywhere and uses them in remarkable ways. She's a girl who loves deeply and openly, and who creates her own kind of magic. Added to these elements are a series of folkloric backstories about feuding brothers, doomed romances, mysterious do-gooders, lost children, and a curse. Mibs Beaumont and her magically gifted clan from Ingrid Law's Savvy (Dial, 2008) would feel right at home here. As Felicity loves to say, "Yes…yes…yes!"—Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal

★ 2013-11-20
The protagonist of this debut joins a growing list of endearing young girls from the South, and it's an extra bonus that her new best friend and mentor is a boy whose method of transportation, without fanfare, just happens to be a wheelchair. Felicity Juniper Pickle, her little sister, Frannie Jo, and their dog, Biscuit, have once again been moved by their mother to a new town. This time they are moving in with Mama's sister in Mama's old hometown, Midnight Gulch, Tenn., which used to be renowned for its magic--the kind where people could "sing up thunderstorms and…dance up sunflowers." Felicity, who has an uncanny ability for seeing and using written words but suffers from stage fright, wants to stay in Midnight Gulch. Her new friend, Jonah, with whom she performs anonymous acts of kindness, persuades Felicity to enter the Duel--a talent show in which her "weapon" will be her words. As the Duel approaches, Felicity and Jonah find themselves caught up in figuring out how to return the town's magic and to reverse a curse from Felicity's "balloon-riding, globe-trotting, curse-bearing great-great-grandfather" (surely homage to Holes). Although pacing is sometimes difficult, this tale offers all the other earmarks of fine storytelling, including colorful, eccentric characters, an original, highly likable narrator and a mighty "spindiddly" plot. (Fantasy. 8-13)

Kirkus Reviews