The Misadventures of the Magician's Dog

by Frances Sackett

Overview

Peter Lubinsky doesn't even like dogs and can't understand why he asked for one for his birthday. But it turns out that this pet, whom Peter calls The Dog, can talk and do magic--and he needs Peter's help. In return, The Dog promises to teach Peter conjuring and to help him bring his father home from the Middle East, where he is deployed with the air force. Soon Peter finds himself flying through the air on a mission to rescue The Dog's master. But as Peter's magical powers grow, he finds himself filled with dark anger. A bedroom full of dinosaur fossils, a waiter who was formerly a mouse, and an epic battle of magicians make for a thrilling read. This imaginative middle-grade fantasy is about the power of love and enchantment.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823428694
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	09/01/2013
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.80(d)
Lexile:	670L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Frances Sackett studied creative writing at Harvard and has an MFA from Mills College. For the past fifteen years she has worked as an editor and writing teacher. She lives in Los Angeles with her two children. This is her first novel. For years she thought about writing a story about a dog that used to belong to a magician, but, she writes, "I couldn't quite figure out who would adopt the dog and what would happen next. Then our country went to war, and I became a little obsessed with the idea of deployed service people. And that's when it clicked. I wanted to write a story that was fun and joyful and adventurous but that also peeled back some the complicated emotions this boy would feel about having his father gone."

Editorial Reviews

09/01/2013
Gr 4–6—Because he is afraid of dogs, Peter is shocked when he hears himself asking for one for his 12th birthday. Later, after bringing one home from a shelter, he is stunned to learn that his new pet actually talks. The Dog tells Peter that he needs help in releasing his previous owner, a magician, from a terrible spell. The Dog will, in return, teach Peter magic, which could help bring his father home from deployment in the Middle East. As Peter's practice of magic improves and deepens, he realizes that he is a better wizard when he is angry, and he has to confront his feelings about his father's absence. Peter's siblings also become involved with the attempts to free the magician. Peter's relationships are realistic. The resolution to the psychological pain of missing his father rings true and the magical plot presents adventure and an exciting climax. Fantasy fans will enjoy this story, and the fast-moving plot will engage reluctant readers.—Tina Martin, Arlington Heights Memorial Library, IL

School Library Journal

2013-09-01
A boy learns magic and comes to terms with his feelings about his absent serviceman father, deployed overseas, with the help of a talking dog. On his 12th birthday Peter Lubinsky asks for a dog --peculiar, given that he doesn't like dogs. He quickly realizes the pooch he chooses has actually selected him, and in the privacy of Peter's bedroom, the dog reveals his ability to speak and the reason for singling Peter out: The hound once belonged to a master magician (not the stage kind; he can actually do magic) who's now evil (a side effect of working magic, which requires strong, often negative emotions) and turned into a rock. Now the dog must teach Peter magic so the boy can make the magician human again. With the hope that he might become powerful enough to bring his father home and abetted by two younger sisters, Peter embarks on a series of implausible, muddled adventures that don't coalesce. There's action and humor here but clichés aplenty, too. The main actors are likable, but characterizations are superficial, and Peter's actions and decisions are obviously plot-driven. Eventually, Peter recognizes that he doesn't need to channel anger to draw out his abilities, as the dog had advised, but that love works its own magic. An interesting but strained debut with some appeal, particularly among undemanding readers. (Fantasy. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews

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