Mr Hardbattle's dusty old bookstore is having a harder and harder time staying in business, mainly because of The Smell. To Mr Hardbattle, it smells like manure, but other patrons have complained of other odors. He consults Mrs Trinket, who solemnly informs him that he has an infestation of magic because he has provided a perfect environment for it to flourish. It could be remedied easily enough, with a good clean out and lots of vacuuming, but since magic is such a rare commodity, Mr Hardbattle sits tight for ten years, until he finds out that his rent is going to go up. Luckily, at about this time he meets young Arthur and Miss Quint, who both believe him about the magic and want to help. While Mr Hardbattle goes to look for a new home for the magic, he leave Miss Quint in charge of the store. Things go well at first, until she becomes bored and summons a vast quantity of book characters to life. Some are not bad (the young Susan, who becomes very dear to both Arthur and Miss Quint), but others go too far afield in their quest for amusement and cause massive problems in the bookstore and in the village. Can Mr Hardbattle send the characters back where they belong, and preserve both his business and the magic?Strengths: I heard about this one from Charlotte at Charlotte's Library, so I was sure to like it. Aside from teaching Latin at Eton College, I think that running a dusty old bookshop in a small English village would be the best job ever. This is perfect for fans of Edward Eager, Diana Wynne Jones' more realistic books, and anyone in need of a slightly old-fashioned, gently magical read.Weaknesses: My students would rather read about murder. Or football. Or some combination of the two. *Sigh* It's hard to get students to read a book where this much tea is consumed! (I adore that about British books. There would be PG Tips in my bookstore, and a nice assortment of biscuits, too. I could continue to wear my pleated skirts and warm wool sweaters. There could be an impressive apidistra. I'd have a pair of small Yorkshire terriers (Named Ottmar and Johannes. Or Buckram and Vellum.) instead of a cat.)I'm sorry. Was this supposed to be a book review instead of a lapse into my own fantasy world? Cozy British fantasies are hard to find these days, so fans of this genre will enjoy the latest by Dale. A bookshop owner discovers that magic has taken up residence in his little shop, and he doesn't know what to do. Since the magic is tricky, and temperamental, though mostly good-spirited, he must step carefully. After consulting an expert, he decides to do nothing--and for ten years, the dust gathers and the magic has its way. Business drops off to almost nothing since every person who comes in smells a different unpleasant odor. Then Mr. Hardbattle is given notice of the rent going up far beyond what he can afford, and he must take action--he must move the magic to a new spot, or lose his home and livelihood. Enter Arthur, a 13-year-old boy, and Miss Quint, a middle aged chatterbox who can be exceedingly annoying. They tackle the problem of where to put the magic, but along the way, have some unusual adventures. The book falls short of greatness in the Diana Wynne Jones sense, and it's hard to like some of the characters (Miss Quint never really seems to evolve and the bad-guy characters are very one-dimensional) but is still an entertaining chapter book for 4th to 6th graders.
What do You think about Magical Mischief (2000)?
This was a good fantasy for young readers with the 'Harry Potter' style of magical happenings.
—coco101
i liked it a bit but i didnt think it was that good (it wasnt the best book ive read)
—Dais
