For magical misfit Nory Horace in the Upside-Down Magic series by authors Emily Jenkins, Sarah Mlynowski, and Lauren Myracle, fifth grade has been full of ups and downs. But when she’s forced to attend her father’s exclusive academy in the audio edition of Hide and Seek, she could be in for her biggest challenge yet.
The story catches up with Nory and her friends from the upside-down magic program as a flood temporarily sends them away from Dunwiddle Magic School and off to prestigious Sage Academy, where Nory’s disapproving father is the headmaster. Nory’s dad thinks that she’s gotten control of her magic enough to begin attending Sage—but the more time Nory spends there, the less comfortable she feels. But the same isn’t true of all of her friends—like her best friend, Elliot, who finds that the new school is helping him expand his growing magical powers.
As Nory and her classmates try to find their way through a few days at this elite school for magical kids, each faces his or her own challenges. As is usually the case, though, the focus is on Nory and just one of her friends. While most of the kids just try to enjoy their time at a fancy boarding school away from home, Nory is isolated from the others, spending more time with her family instead of with her friends, while Elliot branches out, meeting new people with different abilities. Their stories may be quite different, but both will teach young readers the importance of being true to themselves.
While much of this series has had an underlying sadness about it, though—whether it relates to Nory’s dads rejection of her or just the way in which other students treat the UDM kids—that heaviness seems to have been lifted here. Nory’s dad is still disapproving of her “wonky” magic, but it seems as though he’s starting to see her great potential. But it’s more than that, really. It’s the fact that Nory is finally starting to see her own worth. She’s finding more strength and confidence, and she has friends who like her for who she is—wonky magic or not. That confidence comes shining through, encouraging young readers to feel more confident in their own differences.
After so many trials and challenges, the UDM kids finally seem to be finding their place in the magical world. And that realization makes for a more uplifting book—one with a great message for readers of all ages.
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.