27 Magic Words

Starred review from July 1, 2016
Kobi's world is vividly portrayed, shimmering with just a soupcon of subtle magic from the opening pages.Ever since her mother wrote 27 commonplace but seemingly magical words on some Post-its, the white 10-year-old has used them both to make life go smoothly and, more importantly, to connect her to her missing parents. Whenever she says the most important--"Avanti!"--she can watch them on their island refuge. But is Kobi's magic real or just her increasingly ragged defense mechanism for fending off the grim reality that her beloved parents, lost at sea, will never be coming back? Moranville neatly sustains the ambiguity, letting Kobi gradually discover the limits of her enchantment as well as its enduring basis. It is only after she and her older sister, Brook, both previously home-schooled in Paris, move in with their genial half uncle and begin attending school that Kobi's magic falters. Bullying and her own unfolding maturity leave her exposed to truths she's previously ignored. Brook, too, is struggling, keeping herself safe only through complicated obsessive-compulsive behaviors that turn out to be intimately connected with Kobi's magic. Distinctive, well-drawn characters drive the plot and provide their own magical contributions to Kobi's widening world. Both tragic and uplifting, this winsome tale perfectly depicts some of the many aspects of magic. (Fiction. 10-14)

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Starred review from August 1, 2016

Gr 4-6-Despite the titular magic, there is no fantasy in this quietly moving, well-paced work-just the reality of a child deep in denial ultimately coming to terms with her parents' death. Ten-year-old Kobi and her older sister live in Paris with their grandmother, enjoying a seemingly enviable lifestyle: they are homeschooled by a tutor, dine on gourmet meals prepared by a housekeeper, and wear fashionable French clothing. While Kobi misses her parents, whom she believes to be on an extended ocean voyage, she can see them whenever she wants by uttering one of the 27 magic words her mother gave her before she and Kobi's father left five years earlier. A move to Iowa to live with her uncle leaves Kobi struggling to adjust in every way possible: to school, to a new culture, to a much less luxurious lifestyle-and eventually to the realization that her parents aren't coming home. Told from Kobi's point of view, this character-driven novel does a remarkable job of allowing readers to see the world through Kobi's eyes, both as a five-year-old believing in her parents' magical abilities and as a 10-year-old surrounded by adults who are coping with their own heartbreaks and traumas. Secondary characters are portrayed equally deftly, and even minor characters come across as living, breathing individuals. A former artist who has Alzheimer's receives a particularly sensitive treatment, as does Kobi's sister's obsessive compulsive disorder. VERDICT This well-honed middle grade title packs a considerable emotional punch and could be just the ticket for a tween dealing with loss. A highly recommended purchase.-Eileen Makoff, P.S. 90 Edna Cohen School, NY

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2016
Grades 3-6 Kobi's mother, an author, gave her 27 fantastic words written on Post-its, like razzmatazz and squelch, when she was little. After her parents disappear at sea, when Kobi is just five, she infuses those 27 words with magical meanings, like avanti!, which, when uttered, conjures up an image of her parents stranded on a desert island. Now, after spending the last five years living with her grandmother in Paris and being homeschooled, she and her sister, Brook, are going back to the U.S. to live with their uncle Wim and attend regular school. It's there that Kobi's magic words start to fail her, and she resorts to lies and exaggerations when her new classmates ask about her family and her past. As the truth comes out, Kobi has to face the facts she's been repressing for years and find the strength to properly grieve for her parents. This tender, heartwarming story sensitively addresses ways children cope with grief, while emphasizing the importance of all types of families and the enchanting power of language.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2017
Before Kobi's mother and father disappeared during a sailing trip, Kobi's mother had given her twenty-seven Post-it notes bearing magic words. After five years of living with Grandmamma in Paris, Kobi's mind is still wrapped up in discovering and using the words' very specific effects: mayfly stops rain; buoy "makes people understand you really are sorry." Most importantly, Avanti! lets her see her parents living on an island. The words stay with her through a new set of changes, starting with an ostensibly temporary transatlantic move, but cracks begin to appear in Kobi's comprehension of her world, and a big revelation shifts the story from fanciful to realistic. Many readers may guess before it's made fully clear that this is a study in how people deal with grief--others in Kobi's family have their own varied responses (such as the way her sister Brook's apparent obsessive-compulsive disorder manifests itself). The characters are gentle with one another, and, consequently, this quiet novel about a painful situation is gentle with readers. shoshana flax

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)