Miss Ellicott's School for the Magically Minded

by Sage Blackwood

Overview

From the author of the acclaimed Jinx trilogy comes a spellbinding fantasy, perfect for fans of the School for Good and Evil series, about a young heroine fighting to save a world that would dare to tame her.

Chantel would much rather focus on her magic than on curtsying, which is why she often finds herself in trouble at Miss Ellicott’s School for Magical Maidens. But when Miss Ellicott mysteriously disappears along with all the other sorceresses in the city, Chantel’s behavior becomes the least of her problems.

Without any magic protecting the city, it is up to Chantel and her friends to save the Kingdom. On a dangerous mission, Chantel will discover a crossbow-wielding boy, a dragon, and a new, fiery magic that burns inside her—but can she find the sorceresses and transform Lightning Pass into the city it was meant to be?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062402639
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	03/21/2017
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	1,246,325
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.30(d)
Lexile:	660L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Sage Blackwood was born in Chicago and grew up in New York State. She graduated from Antioch College and the University at Albany and taught ESL for many years. Her first fantasy novel, Jinx, was selected as a Best Book of the Year by Kirkus Reviews, ALA Booklist, School Library Journal, and Amazon.com, and was purchased by President Obama.

Editorial Reviews

This extraordinary fantasy...has everything a reader might desire: thrilling suspense, a courageous and smart heroine, an elaborately constructed plot, a vivid setting and a moral grounding and nuance reminiscent of Kristen Cashore’s marvelous “Graceling” books for teen readers.

Buffalo News

Praise for JINX’S MAGIC: “The unique setting, smart pace, likable characters, and sprightly voice hold the narrative together while keeping Jinx’s fans eager for more.

Horn Book Magazine

’Magical maiden’ Chantel’s biggest challenge in her education to become a proper and correct sorceress is ‘deportment.’ A magical-school story with welcome diversity (Chantel is black), unexpected reveals, and thrilling surprises.

The Horn Book

01/01/2017
Gr 4–8—Chantel is a powerful young sorceress, but she's had less luck with the deportment lessons that all magical maidens learn at Miss Ellicott's school. When Miss Ellicott mysteriously disappears, a lack of deportment may be the least of Chantel's problems. Marauders are besieging the city, and suddenly none of the adult sorceresses are around to perform the spells that strengthen the walls. Also, Chantel's snake familiar has crawled into her head, which doesn't help matters. As she takes responsibility for the school's younger students, questions the city's patriarchy and the old ways of thinking, and begins to find her way into her full powers, Chantel starts to learn when to be biddable and when to be bold. This imaginative story has it all: magic and adventure but also humor and relevant political undertones for savvy readers. Chantel is described as brown-skinned; the racial identity of other characters is not specified. This book features a strong plot and well-developed characters. Readers who enjoyed Blackwood's earlier works will not be disappointed. Hand this to fans of Diana Wynne Jones and Shannon Hale. VERDICT This clever fantasy is a strong purchase for most middle grade collections.—Misti Tidman, Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, OH

School Library Journal

2016-12-11
Owl's bowels! Someone's kidnapped the sorceresses of Lightning Pass!Atop a steep, twisting street above the walled Kingdom sits Miss Ellicott's School for Magical Maidens—Spells, Potions, Wards, Summonings and Deportment Taught to Deserving Surplus Females. Here, spells are second to deportment as the young students train to be proper sorceresses—"shamefast and biddable." Tall and black, 13-year-old Chantel is the school's most magical maiden, and she doesn't give a hoot about deportment; she just wants to practice magic. After Miss Ellicott and the other sorceresses who keep the city safe disappear, Chantel finds that the remaining adults—all men—are useless. The patriarchs want to continue their iron rule over the city, and the king wants to take control away from the patriarchs. With barbaric Marauders from outside the wall banging at the gates, it's up to Chantel to save the city and its people from destruction from without—and within. Aided by a fire-breathing dragon, a crossbow-wielding boy, and a long-dead queen, Chantel is a force to be reckoned with. The narrative makes fun of the follies of bureaucratic patriarchy, subverting gender roles by reinforcing them, trusting readers to spot the irony. In a hilarious turn, the novel plays with the skin-as-food-color trope: Anna, Chantel's white best friend, is described as having "skin the color of raw chicken." Chantel is a magical heroine to be celebrated, deportment notwithstanding. (Fantasy. 8-14)

Kirkus Reviews

Praise for JINX’S FIRE: “Blackwood offers a story of enchanting texture and depth, and series fans will be elated to have another outing with the sweetly sardonic hero, whose conscience is almost as troublesome as his grasp of spells. Fans of Cornelia Funke should add this to their stacks.

ALA Booklist

Praise for JINX’S MAGIC: “This series deserves a permanent place in the children’s fantasy pantheon, with Narnia and Earthsea.

Booklist (starred review)

Praise for JINX’S FIRE: “A solid conclusion to a trilogy...threaded with proper amounts of heroism, humor and ingenious twists of character.

Stephanie Garber

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