The turtle's magic is their access to a summertime of adventures.As it's a lake, most of these new adventures are water related: mermaids and pirates, and a rather unfortunate chapter with island savages. Their prayers are answered in the form of an annoying, and officious turtle. It's only a few weeks after the end of the sibling's first adventures, and now they are being whisked away to a lake for summer vacation with their mother and new step-father.The children, desperate to avoid a boring summer of swimming and nature hikes, look for anything magical. Magic by the Lake by Edward Eager is the third of the Tales of Magic series but the moral sequel to Half Magic. This isn't bad, though I don't think the chapters should be shorter, I just need to keep their length in mind when my mental planning includes time for a read-aloud. We'll say, "Hey, let's read a chapter from Magic by the Lake!" always forgetting that this will take thirty minutes or so.
The only trouble I have with the books is that the chapters are so long, which makes reading them aloud a little more challenging than a book with wee little chapters. I won't mention the big link in this one because that would be a spoiler I'll just say that it was the cause of great excitement in our house. My daughter loves how the books link together (and I love that they do so relatively subtly). They draw me in until I feel almost as though I'm in a cottage on a midwestern lake in summer rather than in a split-level in a suburban neighborhood with a foot of snow on the ground. As in his earlier books, Eager's descriptions of place are vivid and detailed. For fans of such favorite series as The Penderwicks and The Vanderbeekers.I've really enjoyed reading Edward Eager's books to my kids, and Magic by the Lake is no exception. This funny and gentle classic series is an enjoyable read-aloud and also a strong choice for independent reading. In this knightly realm they can make a difference-and perhaps even save the person they most need to save-if only they are smart and brave enough, if only they are true to their hearts.
But all of that did happen, and now Roger, his sister, and their cousins find themselves in a bygone world of chivalry and knighthood, of Robin Hood and Ivanhoe. And that wouldn't have happened at all if their father hadn't gotten sick and gone into the hospital. And that would never have happened if he and his sister, Ann, hadn't been sent to stay with their bossy cousins for the summer. If the old toy soldier hadn't come to life, Roger would never have discovered the magic. Book two in the series called "truly magic in a reader's hands" by Jack Gantos, Newbery Medal winner for Dead End in Norvelt.
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