Fifth Grade Magic

by Beatrice Gormley

Book Overview

Portfolio of 181 black-and-white patterns -- medieval to Renaissance -- from a rare 19th-century portfolio: floor tiles, mosaics, textile designs, more.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0380674394
• ISBN13: 9780380674398
• Release Date: January 1984
• Publisher: Avon Books
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.1" x 7.5"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Literary fairy tale perfection!

Fifth Grade magic was a fabulous modern version of a fairy tale. The concept is simple enough: fifth-grade drama enthusiast Gretchen doesn't get an acting part for the school melodrama, and she invokes a fairy, who she is surprised to see appear. But the fairy godmother's magic doesn't turn out the way anyone thought it would, and leads to more problems. At the end, we find out the secret of the fairy godmother, and Gretchen gets what she wants.This book is written very well, and has lots of little treats for you to find. I feel that this is more literary than Mail-Order Wings; the beginning almost invokes Ramona's distinct voice and strong opinions, and the author completely takes you into Gretchen's little mind. Gretchen's growth throughout the book is done in a very believable and complete way. One of the fun aspects of this book is the fairy godmother's tool of choice; instead of an old-fashioned magic wand, she uses and Enchantulator, which helps her find out things she can do to help Gretchen, and sends out colored sparks when casting magic. There's also the school play, a melodrama, Polly's Pies in Peril. (Polly Winsum needs to save her pie business from the evil banker Blakheart.) The snippets of this were delightfully over-the-top!Other reviewers didn't mention Amy, who was the golden-haired newcomer initially chosen for the part of Polly Winsum. (Amy looks the part of a traditional, naive heroine, but has the acting skills of a cardboard cutout.) Throughout most of the book, there's intense rivalry between Amy and Gretchen, at least on Gretchen's part, and most of the enchantments are directed at Amy. But the consequences of the tricky enchantments are done very realistically, and in one of the delightful last scenes, Gretchen actually helps Amy's acting ability. I look forward to seeing Amy's character developed more in More Fifth Grade Magic.Also, in many books where someone has a special talent, interest, or ability, it's very hard for the author to show us that. (I've yet to read a book that makes me understand how much the protagonist loves dancing, or drawing, or something, and let us visualize very distinctive and precise drawings, or dancing, or whatever.) But in Fifth Grade Magic, we can totally see Gretchen's love of acting, with her trying to get other people to act with her at recess, or memorizing all of the lines in the play, or what she does in the fabulous last scene. This is a very good book.I disagree with the previous reviewer that the ending doesn't tie things up; everything that needs to be told to end the story is told, and there's one of the happiest endings I've ever seen. There may have been one page or so more, to help us feel more satisfied, but otherwise it was a very good ending. So what are you waiting for?? Read this book already!

A great story for troubled kids.

I read this in fifth grade and it really helped me. I remember wishing at that time that I had a fairy godmother. I was going through a lot of turmoil in school myself. It's about a girl named Gretchen who wants the lead role in the play her class is putting on. However, Amy, the new girl, gets the part instead. Gretchen is desperate, and even willing to believe in magic. Then a "fairy godmother" named Errora shows up in her bedroom one night and agrees to help her...which led to a lot of trouble. I won't tell anymore. It is full of a lot of laughs while being a touching story. I didn't particularly care for the ending much, though, I felt like it wasn't really wrapped up.