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A Dash of Magic: Bliss, Book 2
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that there's silliness, celebration of family, and positive messages galore in A Dash of Magic, the sequel to Bliss. Budding pastry chef Rosemary tries to get the family's magical recipe book back from her villainous Aunt Lily -- a quest that takes the whole Bliss family, as well as a talking cat, to a prestigious cooking competition in Paris. Among those who come to their aid are gargoyles and ghosts, including Marie Antoinette, who has trouble keeping her head on -- but the treatment is more comic than scary. Expect a little comic flirting and some scenes set in the Paris catacombs.
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What's the story?
The town of Calamity Falls has lost all its magic since villainous Aunt Lily bamboozled the bakers' children and ran off with their book of magic recipes (as described in Bliss). Now Aunt Lily is a cooking celebrity with a slavish following, destined to grow larger as Lily's Secret Ingredient appears on supermarket shelves. Twelve-year-old Rosemary Bliss, who blames herself for the whole disaster, is determined to get the book back and restore harmony, so she sneaks into Lily's studio audience and challenges her to a duel -- at an upcoming, world-televised pastry competition in Paris -- with the book as prize. In order to hold her own against Lily, who cheats at everything, Rose needs more than A DASH OF MAGIC, as she has to enlist the aid not only of her family members but a talking cat, a helpful mouse, a few gargoyles, and Parisian locals both living and dead.
Is it any good?
Like its own famous Angel's Breath Food Cake, A Dash of Magic is sweet, frothy, insubstantial, and irresistible. The characters may be a bit one-note individually, but collectively they and the comical, fast-moving plot combine for a light, harmonious, amusing confection.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about why magic is so popular in kids' books. What other books have you read in which magic plays a big part in the plot?
Do you watch cooking shows on TV? Do you think they're interesting or silly? Why?
Have you been to Paris, or would you like to go? Which of the popular spots that the Bliss kids check out would you like to visit?
Book details
- Author: Kathryn Littlewood
- Illustrator: Erin McGuire
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Brothers and Sisters, Cats, Dogs, and Mice, Friendship, Great Girl Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
- Publication date: February 12, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 368
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
Themes & Topics
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.