A Snicker of Magic

Lloyd, Natalie. A Snicker of Magic. Scholastic Press, 2014.

Felicity Pickle is from a family of roamers. They never stay in one place for very long. Felicity would love for her family to settle down, and when they return to Midnight Gulch, a mysterious town with a magical past, she's hoping she has found her chance to do just that. But first she has to make use of the snicker of magic to solve an age-old riddle.

This book at once mysterious, hilarious, and heartfelt. The mystery/history of the town is reminiscent of Holes, as is the obvious-to-adult-readers ending. This book would make a great elementary classroom read-aloud, and is an easy read-alike recommend for fans of fantasy novels.

Recommended for: middle grade
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Holes, Below, The Ninja Librarians: The Accidental Keyhand