The Magic: Empowered

By JA Gandulla

"The Magic" features short chapters with attention-grabbing content focused on the young reader. This story reaches beyond traditional tools and cleverly weaves real-world scenarios with biology, mythology, and philosophy to establish nature as an ongoing teacher for everyday difficulties. Created to demonstrate ways of being versus a how-to guide, each book focuses on a particular virtue by way of an exemplary animal teacher. Through Paul's struggle and consequent connection with that virtue and animal, the reader is empowered to create their own connection to a virtue, nature, and self. The story's "factual fiction" structure makes it dynamic, appealing to children of all ages, parents, and educators. The adventure is followed by a scientific summary of each animal highlighted in the storyline, as well as questions and points of conversation included for book clubs.
Whether for the recreational reader, parent, or teacher, "The Magic" is a truly holistic piece of fiction that promises to be an entertaining and educational experience.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Sep 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798350920949

Book preview

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Copyright © 2023 Julie Ann Gandulla

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 979-8-35092-093-2 (Printed)

ISBN: 979-8-35092-094-9 (eBook)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Prologue

Cruisin’

Home Sweet Home

Belay That Order

Give a Fae a Fish

Hear Ye, Hear Ye

Turn On the Lights Please

On That Note

One Thing

Tough as Nails

Slow Going

O Boy!

A Little Grit

Roommates

5 Time Champion

The Fae Path

A Gameplan

The Blues

No More Woo hooey

Roar

Tardigrade

Eutardigrada

The Magic – Book Club

The Magic – Glossary

Sources

About the Author…

For Timothy J. Tate

Whose acceptance, mentorship, and wisdom created space for my innate moxie and love to bloom...

into calling.

Acknowledgements

~ My sister Stephanie for always carving out time.

~ Mikey whose encouragement & support helps The Magic grow.

~ Bryan for his spectacular ducky pic.

~ Fallon, Ellie, and Nora for their invaluable help with the cover.

Prologue

After casually using a worry rock for comfort, a young boy named Paul accidentally awakened an ancient magic. Once the rock’s creator appeared with warning and guidance, Paul found himself racing against the clock. For Paul to succeed he must learn what The Stone wants, all while seized by its magic and thrown into the depths of the wilderness. Paul has soared through forests as an owl, learning patience and mindfulness. He as swam through oceans as an octopus, learning creativity and deep listening. Now Paul finds himself once again on the cusp of an adventure, but in what form and for what reason, he does not know. With each use of The Magic, Paul continues to awaken ancient fairies that may threaten not only each other but the world as he knows it. Ultimately, Paul must use all he has learned, and all he will discover, to save everyone.

Cruisin’

Trees flew by. They had been on the road for a few days and Paul was starting to lose all notion of time. Road games petered out by the end of day one - you can only play the alphabet game so many times. All their carefully planned entertainment strategies lost their appeal by the end of day two; reading in the car upset Paul’s stomach and all the movies got old, fast. Closing in on the end of the third and final day, Paul and his family remained positive but exhausted.

Mom? Squeaked Eileen.

Honey, if you’re going to ask me one more time if we are there yet, I will explode.

Well…are we? Asked Eileen.

Kaboom! Ann rumbled, gesturing dramatically with one hand, as the other managed the wheel.

Michigan…I wonder what it’s all gonna be like. I know Mom says the move is a good thing, but all my friends were back home. My room was back home. My life was back home.

Paul’s mind was a jumble and his heart hurt. Reading his thoughts, Ann chimed in. I know you’re both probably curious and concerned about all these changes and what our home, and our lives, will be like here. Try to keep in mind that this is supposed to be an adventure! Life is all about change. Our jobs aren’t to try and redesign that, but to see how well we meet those challenges. But no matter what, I know it can be kinda tough, so ask me anything, anytime, ok guys?

No one responded right away, each lost in thought. Even one of their pups and her companion cat seemed contemplative, both sitting next to each other staring out the window. Fox Dog had been with them for a while now, and their new rescue cat Tigger was a bonafide flerken. Kenai and Night remained semi quiet in the back, only grunting, and squeaking when ‘chasing rabbits.’

The sun was beginning to set, and Paul looked to the horizon. Normally, he would see mountains. Range upon range