Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

What a wonderful follow-up novel to The Elephant’s Girl! Like in her first middle grade work, this Rimington’s work blends fantasy into a very realistic storyline making it difficult to truly categorize it purely one or the other. Harrison and his father are both finding it difficult to put their lives back together after the loss of his mother with dad so unable to process his grief that he sells their home and sends Harrison to his aunt’s house in small town Utah. There, Harrison finds new friends, expands his interest in the arts and helps to bring a magical muse back to the town’s annual festival. The Elephant’s Girl weaves a fantastical spirit into a zoo, solves a mystery and expands readers’ knowledge in animal care, conservation and reinforces the fact that the word family has many different meanings. Tips for Magicians gives readers a glimpse into art in its many forms (musical, performance, traditional painting, pottery, and drawing) and touches on falconry all while showing that loss affects us all differently and there is hope for joy after losing a loved one. Characters have well-developed personalities and show changes over the course of the story. Diversity in race is present (Black, Caucasian and either Hispanic or Indigenous people) but is not a critical factor in the plot line and is hard to pin down. One main character has a stutter that is a significant part of his changes over time. A key supporting character uses a wheelchair but the reasons are not included, however, he is shown as a productive citizen who thrives and is a vital part of the town. Text is free of profanity, violence, and sexual content.

Excellent book that really needs a .7 or .8 in its rating to place it much closer to the 5 that I so rarely give a book! Libraries serving grades 5-8 should make this a “first choice” purchase.

After a magical muse abandons a small Utah town, it is up to a grieving boy, his best friends, and a stray dog to find out where it has gone and how to bring it back. The theme of grief is very powerful and Rimmington does a great job of balancing it and the story.

This is a mellow, calm book, populated entirely by people who are articulate, good natured, and, well, nice. It offers an odd combination of realistic fiction addressing grief over the loss of a parent, and magical thinking and magical solutions. It's uplifting in a "Touched By An Angel" sort of way, but I'm not at all sure how appealing that would be for a middle grade reader.

Great book about wishes, muses, magic and finding your voice. Harrison has to deal with grief of losing his mother and his father’s absence as well. Tips for Magicians isn't the fastest moving story, but it is so well done and absolutely beautiful. It's perfect for the kid that loves magic, card tricks, the arts, and stories about middle school friendships.

This is a sweet middle grade with a very slow start. Kids will relate to the distance between the narrator and his dad, but may feel disconnected from his interest in magic. There's a kind of nostalgia about the storytelling in this one, emphasized by the title.

After the death of his mother, a boy enters an art contest, hoping to win a wish from a muse that will bring his grieving father back home.

TIPS FOR MAGICIANS is a heart-warming middle grade story about the healing power of art and community. Throughout the story, Harrison remembers and misses his mother, but the true journey is toward restoring the relationship with his father that was damaged by loss. Ultimately, they are able to find a way to keep Harrison's mother present in their lives while still moving forward as a family. I'd recommend this one to all fans of middle grade contemporary novels, including younger middle grade readers.

At first I thought that magic would only be a metaphor in this book. We don't get far into this plot, though, before we realize that it is literal. It is a different portrayal of magic than we typically see. This isn't a person with powers. Magic is more of a force or a spirit. A thing with motivations and emotions. That personality, while not something fully explored, plays a vital role in the development of the plot. It becomes something of a metaphor for grief and depression. We see a wide variety of characters trying to cope with assorted forms of loss with varying degrees of success. We learn about the importance of expression, be that through art or through conversation, to deal with our problems. This is a solid use of magical realism to deal with every day issues. A solid read for the middle grade set.

Harrison Boone is still grieving the death of his mother a year ago. His mom was a famous singer who performed all of the United States in some of the most famous theaters. Harrison inherited her love of singing and has a beautiful voice. But since she died he doesn’t sing much anymore, mostly because it makes his father too sad to hear his mom’s songs. Instead, Harrison has turned to performing magic tricks to escape the sadness that creeps in. When his dad sends him to live with his Aunt in Muse, Utah, The residents of Muse are very artistic and they believe that the town is home to a muse that would grant wishes to the winners of the town art contest. But many years ago the Muse stopped coming and Harrison and his new friends devise a plan to try and get the muse back.
How do we deal with the sadness we feel after losing a loved one? This is a question that Harrison has to answer as he learns to sing again after his mom dies. This is a beautiful story of friendship, loss, sadness, and finding one’s voice again. Harrison and his friends are such great characters that everyone will love. They each have their own journeys and obstacles they have to overcome, but with each other they are able to solve the mystery of where the muse went and reach for their own goals. This story is a great story of middle graders. I liked that there wasn’t any bullying in it, the worst was just a kid who always had to be right and be involved in everything. He was just slightly annoying, but not a bully. This is a good uplifting story.

Amateur magician Harrison and his father are struggling with their new normal the death of Harrison’s mother, a professional singer. When Harrison’s father takes a job that will require him to travel for an extended time, Harrison moves to Muse, Utah to stay with his artist Aunt Maggie. Muse is an arts-filled community that hosts a yearly arts festival. The townspeople believe that there is a magical muse who grants wishes to the festival winner, but it seems that the muse has disappeared. Harrison knows exactly what he’d wish for if he won the contest. With the help of his two friends and a mysterious stray dog, Harrison hatches a plan to bring the magical muse back to town. Along the way, Harrison connects with his inner artist and starts to heal from the grief he is experiencing. The story’s magical elements and its message of hope will hook readers and have them wondering if the plan to bring the muse back and secure an elusive wish will be a success. The southwest Utah desert setting of the story is a character itself and the author’s vivid descriptions bring it to life. The book’s message about the power of the arts to heal and build community shines through from start to finish.

Harrison is grieving the sudden death of his mother from a car accident. While that is tragic in itself, so are the actions of his father who decides to sell their house and leave Harrison at his Aunt's while he buries himself in his work. In the beginning, the book comes across as realistic fiction. However, once Harrison moves to Muse, Utah, it veers into the fantasy realm. Harrison plans to enter the annual Art Festival in hopes that he will win and the Muse will grant him a wish. I did not like the mixing of genres, and found the ending to be absurd. Anyone who thinks this unrealistic fantasy will be comforting to someone experiencing real grief needs to think again. In addition, the book was long and slow paced which will turn off most middle grade readers long before they reach the magical fix to all of Harrison's problems. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me this eARC of this book for my honest review.

Even though the pace of the book was a bit slow to my liking, I appreciated how it tackled sensitive issues (mainly, the death of a parent, something you don't see often in Middle-Grade Literature). I just wish it didn't have the fantasy element. I was enjoying the beginning of the story when the events were unfolding in the real world. As much as I like fantasy, I wish we could tackle serious matters in a more realistic way instead of bringing magic into the picture, especially in educative books such as this one. Overall, it was a good book, but I personall think it has more potential.
I want to thank Netgalley and the Publisher for this e-arc!

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
Powerful story about grief and learning to move forward. Harrison lost his mom a year ago and has lost his dad to silence and grief. He hasn't sung in that year since his dad asked him not to so has left a large piece of himself living in the past. He has improved his magic card tricks and hides behind his Harrison the Magnificent persona to protect his inner emotions. His dad takes a job that requires constant travel and Harrison has moved in with his aunt to stay near Red Cliffs Amphitheater where his mom gave performed in the past. Readers see his journey to reconnect with people he knew years before when his family lived there and those he meets after he arrives. They will connect with him and his friends Chloe and Marco and relate to what they are going through as seventh graders.
The town is committed to honoring the arts and seeking to find the muse that disappeared several years ago. Chloe is committed to wooing it back so it grants wishes and honors art again and has created a brilliant performance art production for the annual fair. Harrison finds healing and escape in a painting he and his dad create together though his dad was only present via video call. Marco was the last one to receive his wish from the muse and simply wants to be listened to (he stutters).
Rimington weaves all of these threads together to show a family healing from grief; friends who need their own acceptance and healing; a town who needs to rethink their goals and heal, and a muse who needs to hear music and feel needed again. Fantasy spun into realistic fiction. Her writing style captures the beauty of the surroundings as well as the beauty in each of these characters and the way they create their arts.

Just finished this one last night.

Stayed up till 2 a.m. to read it.

I felt all the feels, cried at the end--which means it was a total winner!

Celesta has a way of bringing her world and her characters to life! This is the perfect book for a child needing to process grief, who loves magic, animals, or happy endings. I would highly recommend it for young readers!


Couldn't leave a review on Amazon...BUT I can download a video ;) If you want me to do a video review, I'd be happy to do that for you. And, if you have a different place you'd like me to review it, please let me know.

I really loved this book! The story deals with friendship, grief, moving, family...everything I love in a story. We follow Harrison after the death of his mother and his father taking a job out of state. Harrison is then sent to live with his aunt. In this town there is a muse that is supposed to grant wishes and Harrison and his friends work together to try to bring back the muse. This is a story full of hard hitting topics but also filled with love and hope. I can't wait to get this one into the hands of the kids i work with <3

Harrison Boone already knows what his dad needs to know. You can't run away from the pain of loss but must allow it in in order to move past it. Harrison's mom is gone but he and his dad are still alive and must move on together. Dad runs away leaving Harrison with his aunt. Harrison is a budding magician and has found comfort in card tricks which helps him make further connections in his new town while waiting for his dad to come to terms and come home.

Harrison’s mother called him “Harrison the Magnificent”. But after she dies in a car accident, Harrison doesn’t feel magnificent anymore. He begins practicing magic tricks, hiding behind his brave magician persona to help him cope with his grief. And at least he has his dad and the home where they had all been together as a family.

But when Harrison’s dad decides to accept a position as a stage manager for a band going on tour, he sends Harrison to live in the southern Utah desert with his Aunt Maggie. Uprooted from his home and feeling abandoned by his father, Harrison doubts he will ever find happiness again.

He arrives in Muse and learns the town is named after a magical muse who grants a wish to the winner of the annual art contest. Harrison knows exactly what he would wish for if he won: to be back together as a family with his dad. But the muse hasn’t granted a wish for several years, and no one knows where the muse has gone. With the help of two friends, Marco and Chloe, Harrison sets off on a quest to find the muse and win a wish. Along the way, he will learn about coping with grief, finding family, and how to truly heal.

Rimington weaves a beautiful tale filled with art, music, friendship, self-acceptance, and magic.

TIPS FOR MAGICIANS is a wonderful exploration of grief, love, and finding the inspiration to move ahead after an unimaginable loss.
After Harrison's mother, a famous singer, is killed in an accident, both Harrison and his father have a hard time moving on. Until the day Harrison's father literally moves them out of the family home. Father has contracted to take a stage management job on the road, and Harrison is sent to live with his Aunt Maggie in Muse, Utah, until the end of the tour.
Muse is a town with an artistic heart and a muse that has gone missing. As Harrison begins to make his way in this new desert landscape he relies on something he picked up since his mother's death-- magic tricks-- to comfort and guide him. As he tries to adjust to life without either of his parents there, he connects with an old friend, makes several new friends, and tries to rescue a dog that seems to have an important message to share.
This story is deeply heartfelt and is clearly inspired by a love of art and music, and the power they have to transform. Lyrical and mystical threads run through the town of Muse, and through Harrison's story. I especially loved how the author used the Tips For Magicians to frame the chapters, drawing a direct line from the rules of magic, through the unknowable mysteries of life all the way to a hopeful and connected life.
A wonderful read for middle-grade readers especially those grappling with loss and searching for their inner gifts!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the E-Arc

After his mother’s death, Harrison is sent to live with his aunt Maggie while his father takes a long term job that involves traveling. In Muse, Utah, renamed by residents to reflect the spirit of inspiration they experience there, Harrison is steeped in memories of his mother as he reconnects with old acquaintances, makes new friends, processes his grief, and rediscovers his artistic side, hoping for the return of a magical muse that townspeople say can grant a wish. Chapters are named after concepts for capturing and holding the attention of an audience for the magic tricks Harrison practices. The premise is clearly the power of the arts to heal, nurture relationships, and create community.