Maximum Magic: The Infatuation Infection: Maximum Magic, #3

By Karleen Tauszik

It’s the last semester before Will graduates from Oak Grove Elementary School and moves on the sixth grade and middle school. But after spring break, most of the fifth graders are crazy with crushes, including Will’s best friend, Josh.  Love is in the air—even Grandma’s gone all googly-eyed over a guy! And is the rumor true that magician Max Goodman is dating Will’s teacher, Ms. Moon?

Will wants to steer clear of getting wrapped up in the classroom romances. He befriends the new kid, Stu, a foster child recently placed with a local family. Can the boys avoid the infatuation infection that’s spreading like a bad flu? Does love conquer all, or will magic have the upper hand? And can love or magic (or both) save Stu from returning to the Children’s Home?

In this contemporary adventure series, author Karleen Tauszik uses humor, tension and, of course, magic to create the perfect stories for middle grade readers.

THE INFATUATION INFECTION is the third and final book in the Maximum Magic series of chapter books for ages 9-12.

The Maximum Magic books are contemporary adventures written in under 20,000 words, with fast-moving chapters and best of all, magic!

NOTE TO PARENTS:

My goal as an author is to get your kids to LOVE reading as much as I did when I was their age...and as much as I still do! My husband is a professional magician. Based on the fascination I see children have with him and his tricks, I wrote the Maximum Magic series.

My promise to you: my Maximum Magic books are clean, with no offensive language, no sketchy innuendos, and with strong family units. I realize that our children are bombarded daily with messages we’d rather they didn’t learn (at least not at their young age). It happens, but I don’t believe it needs to happen in my books. My job is to have your children enjoy reading.

The Lexile levels for this series fall between 550 and 650.

The Categories for the Maximum Magic series are: Action & Adventure / Fantasy & Magic / Art, Music & Photography / Performing Arts / Literature & Fiction / Chapter Books / Intermediate Readers / Children’s Series

• Language: English
• Publisher: Karleen Tauszik
• Release date: Jan 31, 2014
• ISBN: 9781533703057

Book preview

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Text Copyright © 2014 by Karleen Tauszik

Cover Illustration from Bigstock.com

Cover Design Copyright © 2016 by Karleen Tauszik

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

Visit the author on the web at www.KarleenT.com.

Summary: After spring break, most of the fifth graders come back to school crazy with crushes, including Will’s best friend, Josh. Love is in the air—but so is bullying. Does love conquer all, or will magic have the upper hand?

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TO PARENTS: Visit author Karleen Tauszik on the web at www.KarleenT.com, where you can sign up to get her FREE book:

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For Lowell:

husband,

magician,

and the inspiration for this series.

1

Will struggled to make his way down the crowded school hallway. My last semester here at Oak Grove. How weird is that? His mind see-sawed between dread and excitement over going to middle school. Deep in thought, he turned to go into his fifth grade classroom and ran right into Levi, who stood blocking the doorway.

Levi pointed his thumb over his shoulder into the room. Who’s the new kid, Will? I’ve been waiting for you to solve the mystery.

I don’t know. Will shrugged. What new kid?

"That new kid," said Levi, pointing at the only student seated. Everyone else stood in clusters around the edge of the room.

Will stood on his toes to see over Levi’s shoulder. How would I know, anyway?

I figured since your mom works in the office, she’d tell you. Didn’t she?

Nope, said Will. "But I’m sure we’ll find out. We could ask him, you know."

But when Will walked into the classroom, he could see why no one dared approach the tall, thin shell of a boy, his arms crossed like a shield, his ashen face blank and uninviting. He slumped in the desk like he was trying to disappear.

The bell rang, making everyone scatter from their groups and take their seats.

Ms. Moon scooted through the door, calling out, Welcome back, welcome back! to the class. She dumped her bag on her desk, clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention and flipped her long blonde braid over her shoulder.

So did everyone have a great spring break?

Most of the kids responded together, Yeah. Will noticed the new kid did not say anything.

Great! Ms. Moon smiled, scanning each row of children. Well, the end is in sight. Just a few more weeks and you’ll all be advancing to middle school. She glanced at the back corner where a group of boys still horsed around.

"Hopefully you’ll be advancing, she added. But we have a lot more work to finish before then."

The class groaned, despite her cheery attitude.

In the meantime, we have a new student joining us for this last semester. Ms. Moon picked up a file from her desk and read the name. Stuart? She approached the new kid. Is that what you’d like to be called?

Will strained to hear his mousy voice. I prefer Stu, ma’am.

Josh muttered to the boys in the back, Stu? Stupid! They all laughed.

Will jerked his head around when he heard the joke from his friend. I can’t believe he’d say something that mean.

Dylan broke through the laughter with a whisper loud enough for the class to hear. Let’s call him Pid. Stu. Pid. Get it? Stupid!

Enough, boys, said Ms. Moon in a stern voice which didn’t match her tiny size.

She looked at the file again. Stuart Schmeltzit. Did I say it right?

Josh called out, He who Schmeltzit, dealt it. Dylan and several other boys howled with laughter, high fiving Josh for his joke. Their noise almost drowned out Stu’s polite response, Yes, Ma’am.

Ms. Moon stomped to the back corner. Josh, what’s come over you? Do I need to send you out of class? She shook her head in disbelief. Don’t make me change this seating plan again, boys, or you’ll end up sitting in kindergarten for the afternoon.

Will sunk lower in his chair, dismayed at his old friend’s behavior.

Stu sat up taller and said, It’s OK, ma’am. It’s not the first time I’ve heard it.

Walking back to the front of the room, Ms. Moon stopped at Stu’s desk. No, it’s not OK. My classroom needs to be a safe place where everyone can be respected and appreciated. She glared at the boys in the corner, and raised her voice to be sure they heard her. And I’m sure you have many traits we will appreciate once we get to know you.

Will looked at Stu and realized he looked familiar. He also looked like the definition of a vocabulary word they had before the break. Lanky. L-A-N-K-Y. Tall and lean, often used to express awkwardness. Will reviewed it in his mind. It’s the perfect word for Stu. His long legs stuck out far in front of him and it looked like he barely knew how to contain his thin gangly arms. Where have I seen him?

Ms. Moon walked back to her desk, her long cotton skirt swishing with each step. She flipped through her notebook, then she ran her finger down a page. Now, class, based on your grades, I’ve submitted my recommendations to Mr. Goodman for students to work in the magic museum. Some of the students who earned the honor last semester will not return because their grades have fallen. Others have brought their grades up to the point where they are now eligible. I’ll hand out the decisions at the end of the day.

Will knew he would be eligible once again, and could tell by the smiles of some of his classmates that they had brought their grades up to earn the privilege.

Stu, you will be eligible if you are interested. I have your grades here from your last school. Ms. Moon patted the folder on her desk. Have you heard about our museum?

The new student smiled, and his words rushed out. Yes, I have. I’m definitely interested.

Great! We’ll discuss it later.

Ms. Moon droned on about their topics and plans for the upcoming weeks. Will perked up from his thoughts when she mentioned the class trip to Adventure Land.

"The trip is the culmination of your time