A Tale of Highly Unusual Magic

August 1, 2015
Two contemporary girls become linked by a bizarre story from the past, magically emerging from an old book. Twelve-year-old Kai's visiting her great-aunt in Falls River, Texas, while Leila's visiting her uncle's family in Lahore, Pakistan. A solitary only child, Kai recently stopped playing her violin after deciding she would never be the best, while Leila longs for an international adventure to compete with her academically gifted younger sister. When Kai discovers a book entitled The Exquisite Corpse, inviting her to "embark on a journey of magic beyond your powers of discernment, imagination, and belief," she sets a story in motion by writing on the blank page. Likewise, Leila finds and writes in a copy of The Exquisite Corpse. Each girl is stunned when her writing automatically appears in the emerging love story of Ralph Flabbergast and Edwina Pickle, turn-of-the-last-century residents of Falls River. As Ralph and Edwina's intriguing story unfolds in The Exquisite Corpse, bewildered Kai and Leila (and readers) wonder what's happening, but the omniscient, unidentified intrusive narrator eventually pulls most disparate elements together, connecting past to present and Lahore to Falls River. Papademetriou writes with assurance, spinning a beguiling tale of seemingly unrelated characters and events and tying it all together with a touch of magical realism. Readers will respond to this tale of enduring love and nascent self-discovery. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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September 1, 2015
Gr 4-7-A single narrator, using alternating chapters, tells the tale of two 12-year-old girls, each of whom has a strange experience with a magical book. Kai is visiting her unusual but lovable great-aunt Lavinia in Texas for the summer, and Leila is spending her summer in Pakistan, her father's birthplace. While unpacking in the guest room, Kai finds an old book titled "The Exquisite Corpse". Excited to read it, she is disappointed that it contains an odd introduction and only one line of handwritten text: the name "Ralph T. Flabbergast". Guided by some strange intuition, Kai inscribes the words "was a complete fool" after the name. Now, each time she opens the book, new lines of text appear. At the same time in Pakistan, Leila, who reads far too many romantic novels and is hoping for an "authentic cultural experience" in her father's land, discovers the very same text in her great-uncle's library. After an encounter with a beautiful moth, Leila is astounded to see new sentences appearing in her book. Back in Texas, Kai meets Doodle, a young girl out to catch the Celestial Moth, a creature rumored to be almost extinct. Her adventures with Doodle and their subsequent search for the elusive moth, as well as Leila's cultural gaffes, lead readers on a rollicking adventure, complete with a suspiciously operated casket company, a (sort of) pet goat, and an obsession with the TV show "Pakistani Idol". In the meantime, the story of "The Exquisite Corpse" unfolds, telling a tale of forbidden love and magic. Engaging and appealing, especially to those who have never quite fit in, this novel is sure to satisfy. VERDICT Hand this to readers who enjoy light fantasy and ample humor.-"Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools, OH"

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2015
Grades 4-7 Leila and Kai, two middle-school girls both on summer vacation, seem to have little in common. Kai is an only child and spends her time thinking; Leila has a superstar younger sister and spends her time reading. Neither of them expects for their worlds to collide and mesh when they each pick up an aging copy of The Exquisite Corpse. Kai writes one line, and then an entire story appearsin both books. The story in the book, about Ralph Flabbergast and real magic, grows, along with Kai and Leila, seemingly fueled by their adventures in Texas and Pakistan (respectively). As more words and story are revealed, they find that perhaps Ralph isn't just a fictional character. The writing is amusingly self-aware, begging to be read aloud, as the narrator, in chapters alternating between Kai's and Leila's perspectives, interjects little facts and opinions into what is already an entertaining story. This is a fun book for middle-grade readers, and it will surely inspire them to readand writemore.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

December 1, 2015

Gr 4-7-A single narrator, using alternating chapters, tells the tale of two 12-year-old girls: Kai, who is visiting her unusual but lovable great-aunt Lavinia in Texas for the summer, and Leila, who is spending her summer in Pakistan, her father's birthplace. Kai, voted weirdest in her class that year, is a loner, overly protected by her mother and expected to practice her violin at all hours. While unpacking in the guest room, Kai finds an old book titled The Exquisite Corpse. Excited to read it, she is disappointed that it contains an odd introduction and only one line of handwritten text, a name: Ralph T. Flabbergast. Guided by some strange intuition, she pens the words "was a complete fool" after his name. This is her first mistake. Now, each time she opens the book, more writing appears. At the same time in Pakistan, Leila, who reads far too many romantic novels and is hoping for an "authentic cultural experience" in her father's land, discovers the very same text in her great-uncle's library. Leila sets out to read the strange handwritten story of Ralph T. Flabbergast but is soon distracted as a beautiful silver and green moth floats in through her window. Momentarily stunned by its luminescence, Leila forgets all about the book. When the moth flies back out the window, Leila is astounded to see a new sentence on the bottom of the page, "Wasn't that beautiful?" It's as if the book is talking to her. Back in Texas, Kai meets Doodle, a young girl out to catch the Celestial Moth, rumored to be almost extinct in this part of the world. Her adventures with Doodle and their subsequent search for the elusive moth, as well as Leila's cultural gaffes around her family, lead readers on a rollicking adventure, complete with a suspiciously operated casket company, a (sort of) pet goat, and an obsession with Pakistani Idol. In the meantime, the story of The Exquisite Corpse unfolds, telling a tale of forbidden love and magic. Papademetriou's tale is sure to please readers who love a fast-paced, clever mystery. VERDICT With magic and humor, this is an excellent addition to middle grade collections.-Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools, OH

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.