Parents' Guide to

A Tale of Highly Unusual Magic

By Mary Eisenhart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

History, magic, foreign travel in exciting tween adventure.

Book Lisa Papademetriou Fantasy 2015
A Tale of Highly Unusual Magic Poster Image

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What's the Story?

Twelve-year-old Kai is spending the summer in Texas with her late father's truck-driving, hip-hop-loving great aunt, whose house is next door to a graveyard. Meanwhile, Leila, about the same age and fond of romantic stories, is having her own adventure, staying with her Pakistani dad's family in Lahore. Things get really interesting when each girl discovers a book titled The Exquisite Corpse whose pages are blank, until one girl impulsively adds a few words. Soon the book is writing its own chapters, with an occasional line or two from the girls, about a magic-obsessed 19th-century man, his violin-playing true love, and the evil guardian who threatens them. Sauerkraut, goats, butterflies, Kipling, and lots of surprising connections emerge in the ensuing TALE OF HIGHLY UNUSUAL MAGIC.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This lively, funny tale from tween favorite Lisa Papademetriou delivers life lessons, spine-tingling adventure, and surprising connections as 12-year-old girls discover a magical book. Many a kid will relate to the non-magical issues that face the characters -- being dumped by your best friend, coping with a bully, trying to make sense of cultural differences -- and the benevolent forces that come into play as stories unfold and intertwine.

Some readers may find Papademetriou's helicopter-narrator tendency to jump in with side comments and explanations a bit much, but she manages a pretty irresistible mix of multiple cliffhangers, appealing characters, exotic adventure, and laugh-out-loud moments, such as this encounter with the local bully:

"Kai came from the big city, and she had a plan for almost everything. Her plan for people who wanted to rob her or threaten her was this: Make them think you're dangerously crazed. So when Pettyfer looked at her, she grabbed two fistfuls of her own hair and roared, then charged directly at him, screaming, 'Yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yiiiiiiiiiiiii!'

"Pettyfer fell over backward, scrambled to his feet, and took off, tripping over his enormous, expensive shoes."

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about visiting another country. Have you traveled to any faraway places? What were the biggest differences? What was the same?

  • Why do you think books involving magic are so popular? Which others have you read?

  • Do you think the exquisite corpse game of taking turns writing a story sounds like fun? Try doing it yourself with a friend or sibling.

Book Details

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