One Jar of Magic

Written by Corey Ann Haydu

Narrated by Cassandra Morris

From the critically acclaimed author of Eventown comes a hopeful and empowering tale set in an enchanting world of magic and mysterious family secrets—perfect for fans of Anne Ursu, Rebecca Stead, and Wendy Mass.

Magic is like a dream. Delightful. Terrifying. Unreal.

Rose Alice Anders is Little Luck. Lucky to be born into the Anders family. Lucky to be just as special and magical as the most revered man in town—her father. The whole town has been waiting for Rose to turn twelve, when she can join them in their annual capturing of magic on New Year’s Day and become the person she was born to be.

But when that special day finally comes, Rose barely captures one tiny jar of magic. Now Rose’s dad won’t talk to her anymore and her friendships have gotten all twisted and wrong. So when Rose hears whispers that there are people who aren’t meant for magic at all, she begins to wonder if that’s who she belongs with.

Maybe if she’s away from all the magic, away from her dad telling her who she’s meant to be, who she has to be, Rose can begin to piece together what’s truly real in a world full of magic.

* An SLJ Best Book of the Year * A CCBC Choices Pick of the Year *

• Language: English
• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
• Release date: Feb 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9780063063648

Corey Ann Haydu

Corey Ann Haydu is the author of The Widely Unknown Myth of Apple & Dorothy, Eventown, Rules for Stealing Stars, One Jar of Magic, The Someday Suitcase, and the Hand-Me-Down-Magic chapter book series as well as six acclaimed books for teens. Currently she is a proud faculty member of the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA in writing for children program. Corey grew up in the Boston area, earned her MFA at the New School, and now lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughters. Find out more at coreyannhaydu.com. 

Reviews for One Jar of Magic

[grgenius_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was stolen away by the magic in this one, but not in the ways that you might initially think. Yes, it was FASCINATING to hear about the town's most magical family, their traditions, and how great it was going to be on the day of capturing. That was definitely a curiosity that kept pulling my interest...but the real draw, the real moments that stole the show for me, were when we see the relationships in their full glory. From the good to the bad, the ones built on superficial foundations and those that would stand the test of time...or a particularly hard twelfth birthday...THOSE were where my heart lingered. Her bond with her brother warmed my heart. The way that she connected with Stella had me smiling through the tough times she was experiencing. When she found her true self, I couldn't help but be proud. So while yes, the MAGIC was there, and abundant to those lucky enough to see it, it didn't mean the magic that those people were missing out on was any less AMAZING.

All in all, to me it was a realistic take on magic, if ever there could be one. It doesn't remove the sparkle and shine, but it does make it clear that you being YOU is more than enough. It's nice to have that little something extra, but that's exactly what it is...something EXTRA. Having loads is nice, but having just what you need is even better. Kind of like friends...


**copy received for review; opinions are my own