All the Ms: Magaziner to Magorian

Magaziner, Lauren: The Only Thing Worse Than Witches is  witches and kids in the Roald Dahl tradition. I was never a huge Roald Dahl fan but I suspect he is still so popular (nearly ¼ of my students last semester chose him as the author they wanted to research) because he not only tapped into topics that interest people but into an approach to life that is fundamentally atavistic: isn't life strange and random. His heirs will never fade.

Audrey Magee: The Undertaking has a fantastic opening! It’s a war novel, and I limit the number of war novels I force myself to read. (I read plenty of historical and violent non-fiction.)

The Magic Bus series is presented under “M” in the Portland Public Library. I read The Search for the Missing Bones. I learned stuff!

I generally argue that fiction should not try to improve people. However, I must say The Magic Bus series is brilliantly written, so much so I thought, as I was reading, “Boy, I wonder if some of my nursing students who have to take that horrible anatomy class, which is pure memorization, would remember things better if they read this book?”

Kekla Magoon: I tend to be warier with young adult novels these days than adult ones. However, The Minus-One Club, though it is tackles a fairly dark topic–high school kids who have lost a loved one bond with each other–is quite engaging. Like Breakfast Club, only better written and less obnoxious. It reminded me of Ryan Conall’s House of Cards. I didn’t continue and I’m not sure that one member of a couple can save another member of a couple. I nevertheless recommend it for what it is.

Michelle Magorian: I’d heard of Good Night, Mr. Tom but never read it. The story of a young boy evacuated from London during World War II who ends up with a gruff yet caring old man it is quite good. (The movie version is far too short.)