The Time of Green Magic celebrates all that’s good — and challenging — about growing up. Through my adult eyes, the magic Abi, Louis and Max experience is that of imagination, stimulated by the fantastical house they live in. Through the eyes of a child, I think the magic will be just that — magic.

I think that’s why author Hilary McKay’s writing appeals to so many children and adults. It asks us to open our minds and consider the possibilities. And, as in this case, readers are given room to come to their own conclusions.

Consider the varying ages of McKay’s protagonists. When their parents marry, Max is 13, Louis 6, and Abi 11. Their ages have a direct impact on their experiences. These age variances, as well as personality differences, create a layered experience that is engrossing and enjoyable.

The Time of Green Magic is not a particularly dynamic or fast read. Instead, it’s one you settle into; take your time reading. It’s a calm book that will probably appeal to more attentive readers.

I stan Hilary McKay, y’all, and I was so glad to get my greedy little hands on the advance copy of her new book. What I love about Hilary McKay (I think) is the way her big, messy, complicated families are big, messy, and complicated — there's no attempt to simple them up. Some people change and some people don’t, some people get better, some get worse, but everyone is ultimately accepted for who they actually are. I love that.

So in The Time of Green Magic, a new family is forming: When Theo and Polly fall in love, they move their two families together into a rambling old house covered with ivy (and at the very top of their budget). Theo’s daughter Abi is used to being an only child and having her Granny around — but now Granny’s gone back to live with her sister in Jamaica, and Abi’s stuck with two annoying brothers instead: Polly’s sons, grumpy teen Max, who is in the middle of a stupid fight with his best friend (that he knows is stupid but that he can’t bring himself to end), and little Louis, who wants to spend every minute with Abi and Max and can’t understand why they don’t want him around. Voracious reader Abi is the first to discover that there’s something strange happening in their new house — when she drifts deep into a book set on the ocean, she returns to reality with a salt-water-wet book in her hands — but lonely Louis is the one who nurtures the magic, when a mysterious and dangerous creature creeps through his window at night.

In some ways, this reminds me of Edgar Eager and Eva Ibbotsen — there’s magic here, but it’s matter-of-fact, everyday magic that believably flies under the radar of busy parents. Underneath the everyday, though, there’s this wonderful sense of eerie mystery, a reminder that the world is more magical than we assume. But it’s also pure McKay in the way that Abi, Max, and Louis become a family — a big, messy, complicated family, which is a kind of magic all its own.

Oh, I loved it. If you are in the mood for something warm and whimsical, give this one a go.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.com.

First line: There were no curtains at the window, and the room was bare, except for the sofa and Abi's rocking horse and Abi herself, hunched over her book like a diving bird on the edge of a pool, poised between worlds.

Summary: Abi's father remarries after the loss of her mother. Her new stepmother comes with two stepbrothers. They move into a somewhat creepy, maybe haunted older house. Abi likes to get lost in books, but there's something about the house that makes the books more realistic.

My Thoughts: This book reminded me so much of the short story, The Veldt. The story has its scary, eerie moments, but it was also a feel good book about a blended family coming together.

FYI: It has a British flair, which confused me at first. Some of the jargon was foreign to me.

A stunning book weaving the threads of the magic of story and the warmth of home.  Captured from the beginning this book drew me in with descriptions of an ivy covered home, images formed before my eyes and I longed to curl up in its rooms.  To breathe in the smell of the ivy.  To immerse myself in the green magic.  To be a part of the family renting space and learning to live together and love each other.  The emotions of the main characters were portrayed beautifully as they navigated their blended family and the growing pains of adolescence.  Ultimately, the magic of story, of books brought them together.  A stunning cover with a story to match, a must read!

Thank you Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for providing me the opportunity to review. 

For me, the actual book did not live up to the promise of the cover. Sadly, I think this was one of those books that attempted to do a lot without properly achieving any of it. 

I went into The Time of Green Magic expect something lyrical, magical, and nostalgic, but sadly something about it just didn't click for me, and I ended up feeling disappointed. The book felt far less focused on magic and far more on the issues of living with a blended family.

I would have preferred a stronger focus on the plot rather than dipping into and out of all three children's feelings and general issues.

The story felt disjointed, all over the the place, and just downright odd. Not a favorite by a long shot.

A blended family saga with magic for MG. It did move along a little slow for many middle graders, but I think there was enough mystery to keep kids turning pages. The mysterious house was a great bonus as well as adding other family members to find the magic.
Writing a blended family story is always difficult as every family has it's own set of problems, but this was well written and while not a neat tidy up but a more realistic approach.
Keeping you guessing on what is really going on should keep most fans of magical realism intrigued with this book.

The premise of the book is more interesting than the content itself. The magic house is such a great concept but the plot falls flat. It doesn't deliver on the potential of the house. There are some major plot holes. There's not enough character background, especially on the adults of the novel. The author's writing styling is captivating

For me, the actual book did not live up to the promise of the cover. The house itself is fascinating and the way the kids who live in it are able to see books come to life is a dream come true. Yet, there are plot holes big enough for a prehistoric cat to jump through. Why does the boy who can't even read have the prolonged "book" experience? Where did mom get off to and why does her work take her so far away for so long? I did appreciate the family dynamics and the ways the blended family learned to bear with and support one another. The depiction of two teenage boys and their feud was hilarious and heartwarming. It would be such fun to have a big old cat take up residence in my room to keep me warm at night. This book was a bit of a miss for me rather than a hit, unfortunately. 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

This book tackles some hard subjects for a younger audience - death of a parent, parental abandonment, a marriage that includes other children, and having to move to an entirely new house. The interactions between the three children are comical in their truth to reality at times. Hilary McKay has done a superb job at realistic situations and responses from the characters in The Time of Green Magic.

Abi reminds me of well... me at that age to a certain extent. I was ALWAYS so absorbed in my books that mother had to practically come and shake me out of whichever world I was currently in. Louis reminds me of Arliss Coates from Old Yeller, if you have no idea what I'm talking about - you should watch it. I understood Max and what he was going through but he wasn't my favorite character - maybe because of teenage outbursts. The way he is written in the book made him seem younger in my mind than he actually is. He does however have lessons to impart on younger readers. It was heartwarming to see the siblings that were thrust together through marriage grow closer together because of the green magic that had touched them all.

The magic elements of The Time of Green Magic is a wild thing and reminded me of the green decks I've built in Magic The Gathering. In fact, the cover is reminiscent of card illustrations I've seen as well.

The cover is absolutely beautiful, I definitely would have picked it up as a middle-grade reader and this is a title that I will more than likely pick up for my daughter to have when she's old enough to read it. I would highly recommend reading The Time of Green Magic to readers who enjoy fantasy, the middle-grade genre, and wholesome books about family. Many thanks to the publisher, Margaret K. McElderry Books (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing), and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this entrancing book - all opinions are my own.

This is such a sweet, exciting book!  As The Time of Green Magic opens, Abi is so caught up in reading the classic Kon Tiki that she can feel the movement and of the ocean, smell the salty air, and see the green parrot hovering over the sails.  When Louis calls her, she drops her book and returns to reality.  Gathering her things, she realizes the book was drenched in what smells and tastes suspiciously like sea water.  And that is just the beginning.  Abi and her lovely dad, Theo and Grandma Grace had been getting along just fine after the death of Abi's  mom about 10 years ago.  Then Theo meets Polly and her two sons Louis and Max.  Everything changes quickly, Grandma Grace, happy with the way things have turned out, moves back to Jamaica to open a cafe with her sister.  She sends wonderful  letters full of pressed flowers and love.  Theo and Abi move in with Polly and the boys.  Things are just settling down, when they find the landlord is selling the apartment house and they have a  month to find a new place to live.  Abi finds an intriguing ivy-covered house with plenty of room on a quiet street.  Everyone chips in to help with the deposit,,especially Polly who returns to work and ends up on an extended trip helping with disaster relief.  Max and Abby, who are close in age, fight like siblings do and young Louis just misses his Mom, until the magic of the house, or the books inside it, starts to act up.  
What follows is an enchanting story about children learning to live and love as a family as the green magic runs wild and life becomes exciting, then dangerous.  Hilary McKay has crafted an exciting, engaging book with realistic characters honestly written.  What starts off as 5 people living in a mysterious house, ends up with a family living in a home.  Fans of magic will love this, but fans of any kid of reading will as well.  This book reminded me of those by Edward Eager, humorous and exciting with a great story!  The Time of Green Magic is perfect for middle schoolers as well as younger, advanced readers.  I think this would make an excellent read-a-loud for classes or families of any age.  I loved it - and am grateful for the chance to read the ARC.  I planning on purchasing several copies for our school library as well as some for gifts.

Reading this book felt like being let into the front of this ivy-covered house, surrounded by this strange but lovable family, and being absorbed by the magic of the pages. That is a more flowery open to a review than I normally do, but the nature of this book somewhat demands it. The plot revolves around a newly formed family moving into the only, slightly run-down, home they can afford, and the period of magical possibility that brings them together more deeply.

How the bonds of family are weaved with the magic is well done. While the way the narrative switched between characters could be somewhat disorienting, I can’t imagine it being any other way. It gave a chance to understand each member of this family and why they might struggle to understand each other. And that made the character moments all the more satisfying. The way magic manifests in this story appeals greatly to my book-loving heart. There was one character who I wish we had gotten a bit more of a chance to know, but to say who and why would be a spoiler. But, if you’re a fan of wild animal companions there is a treat waiting for you here.

That all being said, I feel like this story would be suited to a very particular audience of kids. That may be the British sensibility of it, or the whimsical, character-driven narrative. But, for that audience, I think it would be an impactful read. I enjoyed my time with it thoroughly.

This gorgeously written book was so sweet to read. It was a joy from first page to last. The World building with solid the fantasy was there, and the characters were lovable.

I loved this! Sadly, I don't think of my students would be interested. It has that old time fairy tale feel which I adore but can't get students to read. I will be purchasing this for my home library though.

So much buzz for this one and it kind of flat for me as a reader. I felt like there was too much build-up and not enough straight-up magic focus. It falls under it was an okay story category for me..

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.  The cover is fantastic and I think will draw many readers that are attracted to fantasy books.  I expected the story to be purely fantastical, but it has a touch of magic instead.  The book almost seems divided into two distinct parts: realistic fiction about a blended family learning the give and take of finding their identity and each child finding their place in the family.  For most of the story, the mother is off on assignment for work- I thought for too long a stretch according to how the character was developed.  The tall skinny house covered with ivy is like a character itself.  I do like how the author developed the step siblings relationships and  applaud the dad's valiant effort to keep a demanding job and parenting three children all on his own while his wife is half a world away.  This part was the strength of the book.  The magical- fantasy elements of the book were weak.  It took too long to develop and never seemed to gel.  The realistic part and fantastical parts never came together in a meaningful way.  Many readers described this as an eerie book- I did not pick up on this mood at all. I would say if you have a younger reader that is too scared for some of the more over-the-top spooky fantasy books- this would be a good pick.  I think this story is more for elementary readers and younger middle school readers that frighten easily.  This story is rather benign and did not stand up to the hype that I had been reading about the book,  By the end, I was left wondering more about the source of the magic and how it was brought into the children's lives.  I think the author could have spent more time on that aspect of the story.  All in all a good story for younger readers with great character interaction and an awesome setting, however the magical elements fell flat.

Charming story but lacks focus and doesn't live up to its potential. Abi's magical episodes with her books are fascinating, but few and far between and not much is done with them. Then Abi virtually disappears in favor of Max who has a crush on babysitter Esme, and Louis who has conjured up a magical prehistoric wildcat named Iffen. The house is billed as being magical, but most of the magic in the story comes from the books the characters look at. Not much happens except the quest at the end to return Iffen to Esme's art book, which provides a brief moment of excitement but seems over too quickly.

A heart warming read about the importance of family mixed with a healthy dose of magic. 
I'm a sucker for sibling relationships, old houses, and book magic. I absolutely loved this one and I can't wait to get my hands on more of Hilary McKay!

I received this ARC from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing through NetGalley.  All opinions are my own.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it.  This book has the elements of a blended family working together and learning to accept each other.  The story also shows the power of books and how the words in those books can come to life to develop beautiful images in the reader's mind. Overall, this book was beautifully written and I will be looking to read other books by Hilary McKay.

This is a book I would have loved as a child. Abi and her father (Theo) and grandmother (Granny Grace) are living a quiet life until THEO meets Polly and they decide to marry. Granny Grace leaves to go home, and Abi is forced into ready-made family life with her new family, including two step-brothers. Soon the landlord  decides to sell their apartment, forcing a house hunt. One day they stumble upon an old tumbledown house covered with green ivy. Abi falls in love with it, and after much juggling of finances, the family ends up living in the ivy covered house. 

Strange things begin happening whenever Abi finds herself absorbed in a book - a parrot emerges, a raft in the middle of a vast sea, bison come from a paint book, and Abi knows some how the house is filled with green magic. Little Louis conjures an imaginary friend - a cross between a tame cat and a wild beast. For a while he thinks the cat, Iffen, is his alone and no one can see him, until Abi catches him unaware. 

Life in the ivy covered house is not tranquil. The children bicker and vie for attention of their respective parent, until Polly has to go away for time for her job, leaving Theo in charge. Tensions escalate, and even easy going Theo has a difficult time with it. This is the story of a family made up of all kinds of personalities and what it means to be accepted as you are for who you are always. This is a beautiful tale which centers around books and the magical worlds they can create.

This is a book about a family and magic.  I would call it magical realism, as it does not have any witches or warlocks, or mages, just regular people touched by magic. Abi, 11, grew up living with her Father and Grandmother after her mother died. But her dad, Theo, an emergency physician meets and marries a woman, Polly, with two sons, Max and Louis. Abi’s grandmother returns to Jamaica and Abi misses her greatly, and feels displaced in her new family. After a year they move into an old, larger house covered in ivy. It’s a little spooky, but the whole family chose it together. Louis who is 6 wants a pet, but the landlord doesn’t allow pets. Max is 13 and is in secondary school, and feels very grown up. Abi loves books and moves into the bedroom in the house with lots of books. She finds when she gets lost in her reading strange things happen, such as becoming soaking wet with salt water when reading a book about an ocean voyage. Louis decides he wants an owl and expects one in the ivy outside his window, but finds a cat instead. Abi’s grandmother had told her about Green Magic when she was a girl in Jamaica, and Abi believes this is what’s happening. 
This is a wonderful story written for middle schoolers. I’m a grandmother and I loved it. More important to me than the magic was these two families becoming one.