In "Magic by the Lake," Edward Eager crafts a whimsical narrative that blends fantasy and realism, transporting readers to a summer spent by a mysterious lake where magic permeates the ordinary. The novel captures the essence of childhood curiosity, inviting readers to explore themes of friendship, adventure, and the transformative power of imagination. Eager employs a lighthearted, accessible prose style, reminiscent of classic children's literature yet distinctly modern in its inventive ...

Book one in the series called "truly magic in a reader's hands" by Jack Gantos, Newbery Medal winner for Dead End in Norvelt.It all begins with a strange coin on a sun-warmed sidewalk. Jane finds the coin, and because she and her siblings are having the worst, most dreadfully boring summer ever, she idly wishes something exciting would happen.And something does: Her wish is granted. Or not quite. Only half of her wish comes true. It turns out the coin grant...

A dull summer is improved when Katharine, Mark, Jane and Martha find a magical coin-like talisman. The catch is that it grants half of any wish made by its bearer—a wish to be on a desert island sends them to the Sahara desert, and their mother ends up halfway home when she wishes to return home during a dull visit to her relatives. That "half magic" is a challenge, sometimes comical, until the children learn to double their wishes.

Edward Eager writes the essential books about four children having a magical adventure. This one has a classic concept and brilliant working out. – Sondra Eklund The plot, as American Writers for Children, 1900-1960 puts it is that, “four siblings find a magic talisman that grants their wishes, but only by halves. They engage in a variety of wild and funny adventures as each makes a wish, carefully worded to allow for the feature of half fulfillment. But when Jane wishes ina...

Edward Eager was born in and grew up in Toledo, Ohio. A Harvard graduate, Eager was a lifelong fan of L. Frank Baum's Oz series, and started writing children's books when he couldn’t find stories he wanted to read to his own son. In his books, Eager often acknowledges his debt to E. Nesbit, whom he thought of as the best children's author of all time. Half Magic is the first book of the Tales of Magic series. In the book, we meet Katharine, Mark, Jane and Martha, who have found a m...

In "Magic by the Lake," Edward Eager weaves a delightful narrative that explores the enchanting world of childhood imagination and wonder. This whimsical tale follows a group of children who, upon discovering a magical lake, embark on fantastical adventures that challenge the boundaries of reality. Eager's prose is characterized by its charming simplicity and playful tone, imbued with a nostalgic sense of longing for the innocence and joy of youth. Set against a backdrop that evokes the mi...

A wish goes overboard in the third book in the series called "truly magic in a reader's hands" (Jack Gantos, Newbery Medal winner for Dead End in Norvelt).If Jane, Mark, Katharine, and Martha had stopped to think—oh, if they had only stopped to think!—they would have ordered magic by the pound, or by the day, or even by the halves as they had in Half Magic. But no, they asked for magic by the lake—and now they have to deal with a whole lakeful of enchantment!...

Book two in the series called "truly magic in a reader's hands" by Jack Gantos, Newbery Medal winner for Dead End in Norvelt.If the old toy soldier hadn’t come to life, Roger would never have discovered the magic.And that would never have happened if he and his sister, Ann, hadn’t been sent to stay with their bossy cousins for the summer. And that wouldn’t have happened at all if their father hadn’t gotten sick and gone into the hospital. But all of that did happen, and now...

Martha's children, Roger and Ann, and their Aunt Katharine's children, Eliza and Jack, find that the combination of a toy castle, Scott's Ivanhoe, and a little magic can build another wonderful series of adventures. A running theme in Eager's novels is his many references to the novels of E. Nesbit; Knight's Castle pays explicit tribute to Nesbit's The Magic City, and also makes an explicit reference to the cartoons of Charles Addams.

Just in time for the holiday season, four classic Edward Eager Tales of Magic in one affordable package.Ever since Half Magic first hit bookshelves in 1954, Edward Eager's Tales of Magic have been favorites with readers of all ages. Now his four most popular stories—Half Magic, Knight's Castle, Magic by the Lake, and The Time Garden—are available in one handsome package. Perfect for gift-giving or for introducing eager new readers to a whole world of wit ...

Laura, James, and their wonderful new neighbors, Kip and Lydia, wish up some summer adventures when the well in their new yard is more than they imagined. Although all of Eager's other novels for children depict what are clearly adventures in supernatural magic, Magic or Not and its sequel The Well-Wishers are different in tone from his other books, because all of the "magical" events in these two novels are described ambiguously, with clues to permit possible n...

The seventh and concluding volume in the series called "truly magic in a reader's hands" by Jack Gantos, Newbery Medal winner for Dead End in Norvelt.All books are magic, but some are more magical than others.When Susan opens a strange library book, she discovers it is about her and her friends, leading up to the moment when she opened the book. Beyond that, the pages are blank . . . waiting for the children to wish the book full of adventures....