The Time of Green Magic

Abi finds herself in the middle of a new family with two brothers — Max, a little older, and Louis, younger by six years — when her father, Theo, falls in love and remarries. It’s hard. They need to find a bigger place to live in. They find an odd, ivy-covered house that Abi thinks is magical, but magic isn’t always fun. Theo and Polly have to work more, often leaving the kids to their own devices. Abi has a couple of scares while reading books she found in the house, but things get terribly frightening when Louis invites a creature called Iffen into his room. Iffen grows and becomes demanding and threatening. Can the kids come together and save the family?

Author Hilary McKay has written a perfectly enchanting story with beautifully developed characters readers will love and root for, and she has put them in danger that is, at moments, heart-pounding and palpable. All this magic is embedded in very real problems young people face with blended families, sharing parents and space, and learning to live together. The writing is splendid and the story a real page-turner. This book deserves readership beyond the intended middle-grade audience.