The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo

Lydia's Take: This is a very sad and happy book, all at the same time. What I mean by that is that it has a sad beginning and a happy ending.

Jessica's Take: Charming isn't a word I use very often--it seems to belong to a more Jane Austen-ish time. But it is just the word to describe this book (as well as The Tale of Despereaux, also by Kate DiCamillo). I think I read this in just one day, so it's definitely a quick read. Still, I enjoyed the style of prose she uses. She seems to leave out anything unnecessary, yet still keeps the charm (there's that word again . . . ) and carries you without your knowing it through a beautiful, sweet, touching story.


I was pleasantly surprised by the way she wove together the lives of seemingly unrelated characters. It was like reading Dickens (on a much smaller scale), and for me, that's really saying something.