A Snicker of Magic...is Magical!

So I finally picked up A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd at our recent school book fair. I have read so many good things about it on blogs, twitter, etc. that I decided to break down and buy it. The cute cover even draws me in and my oldest daughter even said, "that cover is so cute that it makes me want to read that book you are reading." Hey...whatever works right???

Cute cover...right???


Well once I started reading it, I realized that this book had a lot more going on than it's cover! I finished this book in record time. I could be caught reading it in the car(as a passenger), on the treadmill, while waiting for my kids, while blowdrying my hair, etc.

BRILLIANT
FANTABULOUS
SPLENDIFEROUS

There were so many parts of this book that resonated with me. The first part that resonated with me was when Felicity Pickle's teacher Miss Lawson tells her class, "Maybe some of you write poems, or stories. You are welcome to share those, too. Your words are pure magic, after all. Your words are necessary enchantments." These lines changed Felicity's life and encouraged her to share her words in public at "The Duel."

Then Natalie Lloyd writes, "I knew how that felt, to love a story so much you didn't just want to read it, you wanted to feel it." I mean really...how many times have you felt this way about a book? This was a great way to describe those books that I hold so close to my heart and a quote that voracious readers can all relate to.

Later in the story, Felicity says...
"The way he said her name made my heart cramp. In all my years of word collecting, I've learned this to be a tried and true fact: I can very often tell how much a person loves another person by the way they say their name. I think that's one of the best feelings in the world, when you know your name is safe in another person's mouth." after listening to Oliver(owner of Dr. Zook's Ice Cream Company) talk about Sweet Eldee Mae. This made my heart melt...period!

The theme continues throughout the book that "your words matter more than you know." A powerful theme for all who read this little book of magic.

The lines..."But good stories take your heart someplace else. My body'd never been out of south Georgia. But my heart lived everywhere. I'd lived a hundred lives without ever leaving my tree." completely resonated with me and I found myself saying, "Yep, I can totally agree with this!"

The friendship that develops between Jonah and Felicity makes everyone who reads this book...just happy!
I found myself smiling as I read about these two characters. Felicity says,
"And no more words passed between us.  That day Jonah became more than just a friend who kept my words safe. I realized he was the kind of friend who kept my words safe. I realized he was the kind of friend who didn't mind the silent places. The quiet fell between us like a comfortable old quilt and we both settled into it."
I hope everyone has a friend or two like this...I know I do!

 THE.MOST.POWERFUL.PART.OF.THE.WHOLE.BOOK...
"Firstly, most importantly, they were family. And if they had it to do over, I don't think they would have abandoned each other out here on the hillside. I think they would have said, 'Sorry for what I did to you.' and 'I choose to remember the good.' And they would have said, 'I love you.' Maybe if you say those words, maybe if you believe them, no curse in the world has any power over you...And if you say 'I love you,' and you mean it, then love makes up for a whole lifetime of mistakes. That's some kind of magic."

If everyone in the world lived by these words...wouldn't life be magical? I know some people who could benefit from reading these words and living these words. They completely resonated with me and spoke to my heart...especially after the week that I had had!

"You never know which person's going to steal your heart. You never know which place is going to settle your soul. All you can do it look. And hope. And believe."
Wise words my friends! Wise words!

Factofabulous-this book is a must read! Make time for it, share it with your students, share it with your own children, share it with others!
Way to go Natalie Lloyd!!