The Magician Next Door

Callie and her father have moved away from London, away from her friends, away from her memories. Struggling to settle into her new life in Northern Ireland, she is staring out of her window one night, unable to sleep, when a loud BOOM announces the arrival of an upside-down house in her back garden. When this disappears, Callie is convinced she has been seeing things until the arrival of a magical paper plane brings a message from Winnifred Potts, the magician linked to the house, who is in desperate need of help. She has lost her Wanderdust, the magic which charges everything in the house, protecting it from attack from magical creatures. Can Callie and her new friend, Sam, offer the help Winnifred and her house need?

The Magician Next Door is - as the title suggests - a story full of magic, imagination and adventure, but it is also about 'home', friendship and a sense of belonging. Having moved for her father's new job, Callie is overwhelmed by homesickness as well as the loss of her mother. The Rose Building where she lived in London offered not only a home, but a bustling community, with friends and neighbours where everyone knew each other and were like 'one big extended family'.

In the middle of the Mourne Mountains where she is now living, things seem the complete opposite. This sense of loss and longing is vividly conveyed and yet, Callie comes to realise that home really is where the heart is and that, although new friends and new experiences can never replace those we have lost or are missing, they certainly help you work through those emotions and offer hope for the future.

Author Rachel Chivers Khoo has done a wonderful job of sensitively balancing Callie's raw emotions with magic and adventure, so the story never feels swamped by these feelings. The magical house with the turquoise roof and its special connection to Winnifred is a wonderful one and 'Wanderdust' is something which we all need a sprinkle of from time to time!

The story also touches on the world of Irish folklore and the map at the front of the book is a copy of 'Sam's Seven Wonders of the Mourne Mountains', the one which he gives to Callie, which shows the location of the Leprechaun Tunnel and Finn MacCool's Rock amongst other things.

The illustrations throughout capture the wonderfully quirky nature of the story perfectly, offering plenty of details to enjoy. I hope there are more stories to come about Callie, Sam, Winnifred and her house as it seems to me that there are so many adventures which they could share! A great read.

208 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 7+

Who doesn't love a beautiful story, brimming with magic? The author of The Wishkeeper's Apprentice, Rachel Chivers Khoo, has done it again. The Magician Next Door is a beautifully written story with gorgeous black-and-white illustrations throughout.

This was an absolute pleasure to read and had me hooked from the very beginning. Carefully chosen language created clear imagery of the wonderful elements of this early chapter books, and I know would also appeal to the young reader. From a house crash-landing on its roof in the garden, to a toothpick pole which won't let you fall and magic stamps, there is just so much to discover.  

With characters including children, a friendly magician, dangerous giants, malicious pixies and fairies, there is definitely and air of adventure throughout. Home is about the people and you should not be afraid of change, is a message that all children need to hear.

This will be a wonderful choice for a study book with a focus on plot development, language choice and character studies. Classes would enjoy listening to chapters at a time through reading it as a shared text or this would be a perfect individual reading for pleasure text.

208 pages / Reviewed by Amanda Shipton, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 7+