Norma KassirerBesprekingen

Just as beautiful now as it was back then.

This was a favorite of mine as a child. It is a beautiful magical story and a pure delight to reread.

I love rereading books from my past. You never know how you will feel about them in present day. Will they still retain that sense of wonder?

Magic Elizabeth can and does. It is such a sweet and wonderful story that I'd urge adults to read it, especially t hose who never discovered this wonderful piece of literature in their childhood.

Oh, what a sweet story. Lots of mysteries and no explanations (except for how Elizabeth disappeared - but why the dreams?), but it fits in the story and explanations really aren't needed. The changes of view are beautifully expressed - the first night with the scary house, the gray morning, the sunny days... It's fun to read. I don't think I need to reread it, but I'm very glad I've read it now.½

One of the few books from my childhood that I've held onto, which means I really liked it.

I still have my Scholastic paperback, and the other day I found another copy. Which, naturally, I picked up because there are still people who have not read this book and I will help them with their plight.

No surprises here, just delightful time travel/dreams, dolls, cats and crochety old aunties. Any book that starts with a woebegone little girl being dropped off by her sweet caretaker because of an emergency is going to be wonderful- or so it has always proven.

The events of this book unfold in just a few short days, though it seemed longer when I read it as a kid. There an old diary, some old-fashioned clothes, and a mystery. Plus a melodeon! And a tea set. This is where I first ran into the gas plant, as well.

Well worth seeking out.

Though I have not read it before, I have had this book a long time. You may have noticed, it is called, Magic Elizabeth, so, that is really enough reason to have a copy right there, say I. (I first saw a copy at the Niantic Book Barn in 2005, and bought it on Half.com later.)Anyway, cute book! It is nice, a story about connecting to the past, which actually is a little hard to connect to because it's almost a 50-year-old story. And it does a lot of the usual story things: a beautiful old house that isn't scary after all, a very old relative who isn't scary after all, a prized possession that you totally believe is magic. Super sweet.And the plot revolves around a whole bunch of kitties! That's great! Unfortunately the plot also revolves around an anthropomorphized doll, which is my greatest fear. (Not a lot, just that she is slightly "magic" and sort of has some sort of intent or something maybe.) But! The doll and one of the kittens are friends! I guess it is ok. I guess.The story's sweetness actually made me feel warped, because I think I have spent too much time with sci-fi in the last several years and I kept making things more oogey than they were. What is Aunt Sarah hiding? What power is keeping her alive so long? Why does Emily (!) seem to know so much about Elizabeth? Is she the doll come to life? Does she even exist? When Sally time-travels through her dreams, can she get back?Um. The sleigh ride scene is super neat.

In this story, eight-year old Sally has to stay with her scary aunt in a spooky old house while her parents are away. In the house she sees a painting of a girl (that looks just like Sally) holding a doll. In her search for the doll, which went missing many years ago, Sally is drawn to the attic and to a mirror. When she looks into the mirror she experiences something magical and finds clues that help her solve the mystery of the missing doll.

The mystery in this story is intriguing and not only will kids be wondering whether Sally will find the doll, they’ll probably also be curious about who the girl in the painting is. The illustrations really add to the story as well.

Another strong point of the book is that the author writes very descriptively. In the first two chapters, for example, she does an excellent job at setting a dark and scary mood by using descriptive phrases like: “the branches of the tall trees rattled like bones in the wind” and “there was a shutter on a creaky hinge playing an eerie accompaniment”. She also describes very interesting details about the old house.

I think kids (especially girls) will enjoy the imagery and the mystery in this book. I know I did when I read it as a girl!

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As far as I can tell, this book hasn't won any awards.½

Ten-year-old Sally is sent to stay with her elderly Great-Aunt Sarah whom she has never met, in an old Victorian house that has seen better days. Sally sees a portrait of a relative, a young girl also named Sally who looks much like her, holding a doll named Elizabeth. Aunt Sarah tells Sally about the early days of the house, the other Sally, and the missing doll Elizabeth which sets Sally on a path of mystery and discovery in the attic of the old house.

This book had great descriptions of the house and Aunt Sarah, and the author skillfully wove in regressions to the past that helped modern Sally in her quest to find the missing doll Elizabeth.

This was a charming book, and was greatly enhanced by the wonderful illustrations by Joe Krush. I highly recommend this book.

One of my favorite books as a child, the story of two girls from different periods and the doll that brings them together.