Grandma Melvyn (who is no one's grandma) has a wicked wobble eye and calls everyone Trixie. She has come to stay with the Darko family while she anticipates and recuperates from knee surgery. She is given Robbie's room because its the only room without stairs. She makes an already difficult situation even more challenging. Robbie's dad has lost his job and the new one requires him to travel a lot. Because his pay is less, his mom has taken a job so they can pay their mortgage. Robbie must share Ape Boy's bedroom. His younger brother chews on everything and climbs on anything. Robbie is a magician whose knowledge and skills help him to navigate the pitfalls of family and fifth grade. He blames Harry Potter (whom he loves) for people's misunderstanding of magicians and their confusion with wizards. (He even provides a table on page 45 to enumerate the differences between wizards and magicians.) He wants to perfect his magic for the Hobson Elementary Talent Show. Grandma Melvyn (my dad's name, so I'm really partial to her) agrees to give him magic lessons...for a price. Who is the Grandma Melvyn? This is an absolutely delightful, humorous, heart-warming, informative story. It would make a great read-aloud! Although the cover art is bright and attention-grabbing, it may be off-putting to fifth and sixth graders. Fans of Dork Diaries and Diary of a Wimpy Kid should love this one.
"The magician's job is to make people believe impossible things."
"Don't waste your time with whiners and wannabes."
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