May 5, 2026 by Scholastic Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Sparrow lives in the United Realms, a world where children have magic but adults do not. Because magic can be channeled into magestones and runs everything, the children with more magical abilities are sent to schools to cultivate their skills. Sparrow has always been told that she isn't as good as her brother Ainsley, so is both relieved and scared to be attending the Zenith Academy for Magical Development, the school her brother attends. After saying goodbye to their mother and heading through the Luneport, Sparrow arrives at the academy only to find that first year students have to climb a mountain to get to the school. She has befriended Lyndon Demara, who seems nice, but who takes off up the mountain and won't help Sparrow when another student, Orla, falls. Sparrow helps the other student, and the two manage to make it to the gates of school just in time, although many students do not. When the identification pendants are being handed out, Sparrow sees a vision when she looks upon the Eye of Zipporah, but no one else in her class has a similar experience. There are many classes, including an herb class with Silas Rowan, a snotty classmate, Camellia, and a lot of unpleasant run ins with Ainsley. Sparrow finds that her magic is stronger than she thought, and can be unmanageable when she becomes angry. When other students become ill with magedrain fever, she and her new friends try to investigate and find out what is causing it. Will Sparrow be able to develop her magic, complete her evals, and save Zenith Academy from destruction?
Strengths: While there are many fantasy books, I can't think of one that has such great illustrations. These add a lot to building the fantasy world, especially when there are so many pictures! I wish that more middle grade books were heavily illustrated. Zenith Academy has lots of things to recommend it: tasty meals, a variety of students, classes on magical topics, and, of course, a force of evil that must be stopped. Ainsley is really quite an evil older brother, and it's fairly clear why Sparrow suffers from poor self image. Despite the treatment she has received at home, she is a good person, and tries her best to be a good friend and classmate, which is endearing to see. The mystery about the sickness is well developed, and Sparrow and her friends do the best investigation that they can. I feel like there is something more to this story, and fully expect there to be more books coming out about Zentih Academy. The uniform is perfect for cosplay! If any of my students need a turtleneck, I've got a whole drawer of them, and the magestone identification pendants won't be hard to make. Wide legged pants should be hitting the thrift stores this spring and will be easy enough to turn into the cropped pants.
Weaknesses: I'm not sure when publishing will realize that younger readers are not as enthralled by books like Harry Potter as the generation before them was. There have been several articles about this, even in the New York Times, and I have definitely seen this in my school library. I used to have a whole list of "magical academy" books, but I haven't had a single student ask for one this entire year. The author's note at the beginning of the book added some insight to the trend I am seeing: she grew up escaping into fantasy books because there was a lot of pressure on her academically. My students today don't even feel pressure to turn in homework, and have little imagination, so it's not a surprise that they don't enjoy fantasy books.
What I really think: The illustrations do set this book apart from other fantasy books, and the story is fairly well constructed. I think fantasy books are going to start falling into a category like horse books or talking animal books; I'll buy one or two a year to add to my already large collection. This is one of the better books I have read lately, so I will purchase a copy in case my readers work their way through
Sanders' Keynan Masters and the Peerless Magic Crew, Elle's Taste Of Magic (Park Row Magic Academy #1), Perry's Jaden Powers and the Inheritance Magic,
Alston's Amari and the Night Brothers, Adame's Chloe Vega and the Agents of Magic, Williams' Where There Be Monsters, Madanna's Vanya and the Wild Hunt, Okogwu's Onyeka and the Acadmey of the Sun, Dumas' Wildseed Witch, Thomas' Nic Blake, and Clayton's The Marvellers. I hope that the next book in the series explains a little more why children have magic and adults do not... always. Strengths: While there are many fantasy books, I can't think of one that has such great illustrations. These add a lot to building the fantasy world, especially when there are so many pictures! I wish that more middle grade books were heavily illustrated. Zenith Academy has lots of things to recommend it: tasty meals, a variety of students, classes on magical topics, and, of course, a force of evil that must be stopped. Ainsley is really quite an evil older brother, and it's fairly clear why Sparrow suffers from poor self image. Despite the treatment she has received at home, she is a good person, and tries her best to be a good friend and classmate, which is endearing to see. The mystery about the sickness is well developed, and Sparrow and her friends do the best investigation that they can. I feel like there is something more to this story, and fully expect there to be more books coming out about Zentih Academy. The uniform is perfect for cosplay! If any of my students need a turtleneck, I've got a whole drawer of them, and the magestone identification pendants won't be hard to make. Wide legged pants should be hitting the thrift stores this spring and will be easy enough to turn into the cropped pants.
Weaknesses: I'm not sure when publishing will realize that younger readers are not as enthralled by books like Harry Potter as the generation before them was. There have been several articles about this, even in the New York Times, and I have definitely seen this in my school library. I used to have a whole list of "magical academy" books, but I haven't had a single student ask for one this entire year. The author's note at the beginning of the book added some insight to the trend I am seeing: she grew up escaping into fantasy books because there was a lot of pressure on her academically. My students today don't even feel pressure to turn in homework, and have little imagination, so it's not a surprise that they don't enjoy fantasy books.
What I really think: The illustrations do set this book apart from other fantasy books, and the story is fairly well constructed. I think fantasy books are going to start falling into a category like horse books or talking animal books; I'll buy one or two a year to add to my already large collection. This is one of the better books I have read lately, so I will purchase a copy in case my readers work their way through
Wood, A.J. and Rioux, Jo (illus.)The Wizard's Guide to Magical Experiments: 40 Science Experiements to Try at Home.
September 16, 2025 by Harry N. Abrams
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
While middle school students may no longer be obsessed with certain wizarding worlds, this book of "magical" science experiments will be a big hit with elementary school students whose parents probably still harbor fond feelings for them. This book offers a solid foundation of scientific fact, easy to do experiments, and an aura of magic, all from the creator of the Ology books (notice the glittery gem at the top of the cover?), which also have a strong nostalgic pull for readers of a certain age.
The two page spreads are well designed, and each one centers on a scientific topic; there is information about status electricity, water, states of matter, mixtures, air, fire, salt, crystals, acids, compounds, and my favorite, kitchen alchemy. Some of the experiments don't take very long (moving paper "ladybugs" with static electricity or making secret messages with wax on paper), but others take some preparation and patience, like making stalactites. There are warnings when parental involvement should be sought, although this book is probably best experienced with an adult presence to help procure needed equipment and supplies, and to help interpret the accompanying science information.
Jo Rioux's illustrations (also seen on the covers of Judith Eagle's mysteries in the US market) give the pages a cozy, magical feeling, rather like I would expect a non creepy grimoire to look. While the experiments aren't really magical at all, there is a lot of reliance on wands, capes, and hats to give the instructions a magical quality. The addition of envelopes, flaps, and even a certificate of completion at the back gives this an even better interactive feel.
The most impressive part for me was the casual introduction of hard core science. There is a flap with the PH scale, and another with the complete table of elements. There's even a nice recipe for color changing ink made from boiled cabbage, and a whole brochure of Halloween experiments.
This book would be the perfect gift from an involved aunt or uncle who has time and space to devote to some of the more elaborate experiments, like dissolving egg shells in vinegar or making a lava lamp out of grains of salt, oil, and water. Including a lab apron and some goggles with this book wouldn't be a bad idea!
It's always good to get children involved in STEM activities, and the best way to do this is to tap into interests they already have. Depending on what interests your own budding Marie Curie, Smits' The Kids Book of Paper Love, Brunelle's Turn This Book Into a Bird Feeder, Connolly's The Book of Wildly Spectacular Sports Science: 54 All-Star Experiments or Roehrig's Rainbow Science would be good choices. If you have a child patiently waiting for their Hogwarts owl to arrive, The Wizard's Guide to Magical Experiments is the perfect choice.
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