Discovering Pig Magic

By Julie Crabtree

Book Overview

Mattie, Ariel, and Nicki are fast friends facing the uncertainty of being thirteen. Mattie's kitschy pig collection and agoraphobic mother might completely derail her social life. Ariel's attempts to follow in Rachael Ray's culinary footsteps have landed her in hot water. And Nicki is carrying a secret that threatens to cut her off from her best friends.

After finding a book of spells, the three girls perform a ritual that will grant each the object of her desire. This requires that they each bury something special: for Ariel, a tiny antique spoon; for Nicki, a thumb-sized leather mother-and-child doll; and for Mattie, a small ceramic pig with real gold inlays. When the magic starts to take effect, the girls' longed-for wishes carry unintended, and unwelcome, consequences. Several disasters later, the friends fear that their ritual is working against them. Can they break the spell before their problems spiral out of control?

Wonderfully funny and absorbing, Discovering Pig Magic captures the everyday lives of three quirky, engaging girls, and shows that some wishes may be better left unfulfilled.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1571316833
• ISBN13: 9781571316837
• Release Date: November 2008
• Publisher: Milkweed Editions
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.6" x 8.1"
• Age Range: 8 to 13 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 8

Customer Reviews

Wonderful

Discovering Pig Magic will make a great Christmas gift for all the preteen/early teen girls on my list. I enjoyed it very much, especially because it is a fun read with an ethical message that's very true to life. I will be picking up a few more copies as gifts for my daughter and nieces and will donate my copy to my daughter's school library. I am looking forward to a sequel!

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Miss M, Ariel, and Nicki have just entered seventh grade and are learning that being thirteen is a strange feeling. Growing up is never easy, and not only are they changing, but school, family, and friends are changing, too. Ariel aspires to be the next cooking superstar, Mattie is dealing with divorced parents and a mom who won't leave the house (plus her strange collection of pigs), and Nicki has secrets about her family she hasn't yet shared. After finding an old magic book, the girls decide that this is their year, and set out to perform a magic ritual in the hopes that things will start anew and being a teenager will begin on an exciting path. But dabbling in magic and making wishes doesn't always turn out the way you hope, and things start to take a turn for the worse. The girls find themselves in sticky situations and their friendship tested. Can they undo the magic? This may sound like a paranormal fantasy, but it's really a sweet, charming, coming-of-age story with the magic taking a backseat. Julie Crabtree has captured the middle school transition and tween voice perfectly. I would recommend this one for young teen girls who enjoy friendship stories. This would also make a great tween book club choice. Reviewed by: Sarah Bean the Green Bean Teen Queen