Upside-Down Magic

As someone who has worked in special education and with children of multiple ethnicities, I immediately read deeper into Upside-Down Magic than most people. Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle and Emily Jenkins are mad brilliant. They took a girl’s worries about being different and forced her to accept them instead of following the typical narrative of self-discovery and being mainstreamed and everyone liking her, they were much more realistic with how they handled the politics of education and the fact that all students’ needs are different, whether it be in learning math or magic. They also incorporated the fact that most minority and special needs student are often taught by a white, female teacher that the students have difficulty show more relating to. And while the teacher may have people in her life that have unique needs, rarely did/does the teacher.
I recommend Upside-Down Magic to children at the store that feel like they don’t really fit in or who really like magic stories, but I also recommend it to each and every teacher that walks through the bookstore doors because, whether the authors intended or not, they have written a brilliant piece of social commentary on our education system in the United States and how imperative it is to teach every child in a manner that best fits their unique needs and style. show less

Pretty cute book -- I love that it centers embracing difference, and that it also gives the kids the space to get there on their own. Nory comes from a dysfunctional and non-communicative family, and has the wrong kid of out-sized talent to win approval from her father. After she is sent away to live with her aunt and attend a different school, she starts to find her own way to controlling her magic in a way that doesn't negate it's more creative effects.

Magic means the five Fs: Flare, Flicker, Fluxer, Flyer, and Fuzzy. If your magic doesn't fit into one of these categories, you're wonky (or "different," insists Ms. Starr). Nory's magic is definitely wonky: she's a Fluxer, but her animals are usually bizarre combinations (e.g. her "bitten," a beaver-kitten), and she has trouble holding on to her human mind when she's in animal form. Thus, she fails the entrance exam for Sage Academy, where her father is the headmaster and her brother Hawthorne and sister Dalia are students. Nory is sent away to live with her Aunt Margo, a strong flyer (actually a human taxi) and a much more emotionally open person than her father.

At Dunwiddle Magic School, Nory is stuck in the Upside-Down Magic class show more (UDM) with Ms. Starr. Ms. Starr is different than her other teachers, but Nory just wants to be normal so she can go home. With the help of a book called The Box of Normal, Nory and her UDM friend Elliott practice and get better - but when another student plays a dangerous trick on their classmate Andres, it's time to bust out of the Box of Normal and use their "wonky" magic to save their friend.

I was a little frustrated with this book in the beginning, as there was no explanation of how the magic worked: it came in around the age of ten or eleven, and there didn't seem to be a way to learn how to manage or use it - at least not a way that Nory's family could help her with. Once she gets to her UDM class, though, there's a little more detail. The characters are likable, and the audio was excellent. show less

Just finished reading this with my 3rd grader. Excellent, we both really enjoyed this and will soon be starting the next in the series. Good story and characters and written appropriately for elementary readers, not too scary and a good reading level.
This is fantasy with children attending a school of magic, learning about friendship and self-love/self-acceptance.

Nory Horrace's magic doesn’t seem to work the way she would like it to- it’s wonky. Being able to turn into an animal should be easy, especially the small black kitten she needs to change into for the Big Test at Sage Academy. Every time she tries, she turns into the wrong animal- or rather a combination of animals, like a bat and a cat. Worst of all, she gets lost in the mind of the creature and ends up embarrassing herself. It only makes things harder that her father is the headmaster of the academy. When Nory fails the Big Test she is heartbroken, but when an aunt she doesn’t know comes to take her away, Nory’s heart sinks even more. Her dad doesn’t want her to stay at his house with her wonky magic. Now she won’t get to show more see her brother and sister. Plus, they won’t even answer her phone calls. At her new school, there’s a class for kids who have upside-down magic. Their magic does the opposite of what it’s supposed to do. The kids in class seem nice, but Nory thinks they are a little strange. She and another student, Elliot, who turns things to ice instead setting them on fire, decide they don’t belong there and devise a plan to get into the “normal” magic classes. Will Elliot and Nory be able to tame their magic? Is it possible to take the test again and get out of the class they're in? Will Nory talk to her family again? Why is her dad so disappointed in her? Read this fast-paced story and find out!

I had fun reading Upside-Down Magic by Sarah Mlynowski! It was a book filled with unique characters, and I was easily able to read it in one day. I felt bad for Nory and her friends that they had trouble controlling their powers, also that they were often surprised by the outcome of their attempts. I imagine it'd be tough to lose control and have your magic surprise you all the time. It was fascinating to see what happened in the upside-down class. I thought their teacher was nice, and I liked how she pointed out what made them even more important was that their skills were different. Being able to do things that others can’t comes in handy! My favorite part was probably the end, but I don’t want to give anything away. I would recommend this book to kids (and adults) in second grade and up who enjoy stories with magic and characters that have a lot to learn. I know it will be exciting to read the rest of the books in the series! show less

The first book in this series, we are introduced right away to the main character, Nory. Nory and her family all have magic powers and Nory is preparing to take a test which will admit her to a special school. The school happens to be run by her strict and stern father. The only problem is that Nora’s magic always goes a bit upside down. Instead of just transforming into a cat, she continually transforms into a cat combined with another animal, which always results in disaster. Nory predictably fails the test and is not accepted into the school. Her family ships her off to live with her aunt where she has to learn a new school, new routine, and try to get her magic under control. Along the way, she makes new friends and learns show more unexpected lessons. This book is entertaining, moves quickly, and hooks readers right away. Nory is an endearing character and this series introduction was enjoyable and made me want to continue reading future books from the series! show less

Mixed

I loved the creative world and treatment of the “upside down” kids. I was a bit shocked at the behavior of Nory’s father and siblings, though. Mostly good. Parents aren’t perfect, and maybe that will be addressed later in the series.