This review also published at The Children's Book and Media Review

Mike wonders if something is wrong with him. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t sit still and focus. When he finds an old joke shop one day, he realizes that this shop also sells supplies for magicians. The owner of the shop, Mr. Zerlin, promises to teach Mike a trick if he can answer a riddle for him. When Mike shows off his first magic trick at school, most of the kids are impressed and he feels more popular than he ever has before. His new hobby also helps his make friends with his new neighbor, Nora, and deal with a bully. Magic is changing his world, but he can’t help but wonder if there’s magic beyond just the tricks he is learning.

The first in a new series, The Vanishing Coin introduces kids to magic. It has some instructions for easy magic tricks that anyone can learn with some practice, and the tricks are used as part of the story. Mike is a relatable character to many, struggling in school and figuring out how to deal with friends. The illustrations and large text make it easier for younger people to read, but it is written with better quality than a lot of similar early chapter books for young readers. Children who are interested in magic or who want a character who has problems concentrating in school will enjoy this magical series. ( )

TTeachers always send Mike to the principal because he can’t sit still or focus on work. He needs to be moving and, when he’s not, he gets upset. His parents have been working with him on coping strategies, but they don’t seem to work. The fresh start he’d hoped for in fourth grade seems to be gone. On top of everything else, he’s being bullied again by Jackson, a neighborhood bully and his parents are making him hang out with Nora, a gifted kid, every day after school.

Just when things seem to be at their worst, Mike discovers magic. Suddenly he finds something he’s good at, and is ready to do what it takes to be the best magician he can be.

I enjoyed this book, and know my fourth graders will too.

Book review link: ( )

This book has some awesome illustrations of magic tricks in it that some kids would love. The text is large enough for kids to read it easily, but still need to be fluent readers. The character development throughout the book is great, too. ( )

I will admit that I rather had to push myself through this book, but I think it's one of those that will definitely appeal to children, and not so much to an adult reader, which is no bad thing for a children's book.

Mike has just started fourth grade and he's already in trouble. It's not that he's a bad kid, he just can't focus or sit still in school. His parents won't let him join the soccer team because they want him to concentrate on his homework, and he has to spend half his afternoons at Nora's house. She's not bad, for a girl, but what if someone finds out? Like Jackson, who has bullied him all through school? Plus, she's gifted and he feels stupid around her.

Then they discover a magic shop. Will Mike be able to impress some kids with his magic tricks? Best of all, is there more to magic than just the tricks the owner is teaching him?

Wight's digital black and white illustrations are crisp and attractive and are really clear in illustrating the instructions for various magic tricks that are included in the book. Reading the story, it felt a little didactic and slow-paced, and I was thinking - "it's at a beginning chapter book but it's about a fourth grader so..." until I realized that it's going to appeal exactly to kids like Mike, who won't want to read a massive book, want something they can relate to, and need a fun hook.

So, it's got all of those things. It's only 142 pages long, with nice bold text in a large font and illustrations. Not daunting at all for a reluctant reader. It's going to appeal to kids who want to read stories about kids they can relate to, since it doesn't feature kids improbably taking off on their own or a stereotyped bully. Finally, it's got hooks - the magic tricks and the hints about magic being real.

Verdict: If your library is like mine, you have a lot of kids interested in magic tricks. This will meet the desires of both the kids and their parents, who want them to read chapter books. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781250029140; Published 2014 by Feiwel & Friends; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Added to the library's order list

Cute book! The main characters (Mike and Nora) are in 4th grade, and Amazon lists this book as grades 2 - 4, but I think it will resonate more soundly with those in the 2 & 3 level. There are plenty of issues at hand, but none of them delve very deeply. For example, the bully Jackson is more of a pain in the butt than a true bully. Mike has what readers will recognize as ADHD (it's never stated) so he has trouble in school - but not so much trouble that his teachers don't believe in him. He also has issues with friendships - but not issues that are so blatant that he doesn't have three good friends. Overall, I think the book was solidly written and interesting without making kids feel like they're delving into another character's black hole of issues. ( )