ACF Rating: 3 out of 5 books
Suits Ages 7 - 9
Suits Ages 7 - 9
Books about
what it's like to be a clergy kid (PK) can be a little hard to find, so this month
I’m reviewing a book that deals with one issue PKs can come across on a regular basis; changing
schools.
Written by a Christian author, they introduce us to Zach, an 11-year-old boy, who wants to find out what
makes him special, a feat that is tricky when he comes from a family who all have magical abilities...except
him.
He’s been home-schooled all his
life but as time passes, and his family is unsure if Zach does have magical abilities, his parents decide to send him to a ‘normal’ school. What
follows is Zach’s exploration, pioneer style, into the world of Horace
Greely Middle School. Here he makes friends with some students, the geek Aaron
and the outdoorsy Rachel, and discovers the vindictive alpha girl Michelle’s
habit for picking on new and unpopular students.
This book
deals with themes of friendship, bullying, popularity, loneliness, and testing boundaries in
a new school environment, with lots of bubbly creativity. The characters are simple to
understand, the magical theme light-hearted, and the focus on struggling to fit
in is clear.
Adding to
the sense of fun is the augmented reality (AR) facets of the book itself. A first in my experience, many of the
illustrations throughout the book appear to become animated when viewed through
a mobile device (Android or Apple). These illustrations really played into the
magical theme, and were a lot of fun to explore.
With the
number of moves clergy children generally make, and the challenges of fitting into a new environment or school, resources such as My Magical Life may
provide excellent opportunities for clergy families to discuss navigating these
times, in a playful and relaxed way.
You can find this book through Book Depository for about $12.
- Matt (PK Place Leader)
www.australianclergyfamilies.com -- journeying together with clergy families
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