I’m only about one-fifth of the way through Magyk, but so far I’m really enjoying it.

Magyk and its successors, Flyte and Physik, have been sleeper hits in the library with fourth and fifth graders:  the kids who know about the books passionately love them and read and re-read them, but there are a lot of kids who don’t seem to have ever heard of this trilogy.  So I decided it would be a great idea to read Magyk  for the fifth grade book group (which will be meeting tomorrow).

At 564 pages, it’s a bit of a project to try and read for the book group (both for me and for some of the kids in the group), but the book’s quick pace and smooth style make it more approachable than its girth would initially suggest.  And luckily we can take advantage of this three-day weekend to finish reading…

I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s discussion, even though comparisons to Harry Potter are inevitable, because this is just the type of book that these fifth graders love to read:  well-written fantasy with a lot of action, suspense, magical terminology, and colorful characters.  And when we’re discussing a book that everyone loves, then everyone participates and the group’s meeting is fun for all, me included.  And, if we’re having a great conversation about the book, maybe the kids won’t notice that I sneakily bought 100% whole wheat bagels and light cream cheese for the book group snack.