Middle Grade Books I Love: A Snicker of Magic

I’m not sure how I first ran across A Snicker of Magic in February of 2014, but I have been a devoted fan of Natalie Lloyd ever since. She’s adorable. Her stories are delightful. After reading a copy of A Snicker of Magic from my local library, I purchased a paperback of my own to sit on my shelves and read again someday. I don't do that often, but when I do, it's a book I tell everyone about. 

Midnight Gulch used to be a magical place, a town where people could sing up thunderstorms and dance up sunflowers. But that was long ago, before a curse drove the magic away. Twelve-year-old Felicity knows all about things like that; her nomadic mother is cursed with a wandering heart. But when she arrives in Midnight Gulch, Felicity thinks her luck's about to change. A "word collector," Felicity sees words everywhere---shining above strangers, tucked into church eves, and tangled up her dog's floppy ears---but Midnight Gulch is the first place she's ever seen the word "home." And then there's Jonah, a mysterious, spiky-haired do-gooder who shimmers with words Felicity's never seen before, words that make Felicity's heart beat a little faster. Felicity wants to stay in Midnight Gulch more than anything, but first, she'll need to figure out how to bring back the magic, breaking the spell that's been cast over the town . . . and her mother's broken heart.

It always surprises me to discover how few readers/librarians/teachers know about Lloyd and her books. Maybe this can help correct that! Check her out on Facebook, at Amazon, or at your local library. 

And while her Problim Children books are a bit odd for me as an adult, kids adore the wacky adventures and love them. Hummingbird is a wonderful example for "lived-experience" of a disability (in this case, brittle bone disease/osteogenesis imperfecta) being represented in kidlit. I'm super-excited for her upcoming book, The Witching Wind. You can bet it will jump the TBR line the moment it comes out in September.

Check out Natalie Lloyd and discover which of her middle grade books speak to you and possibly hold a snicker of magic for your child.