about the book
It is the start of fourth grade for Mike Weiss. A new start. A chance to go fresh.
Right.
After one too many fidgets and “classroom disruptions,” Mike is sent to the principal’s office in the very first week. It isn’t Mike’s fault he can’t sit still! That’s just the way he is. Unfortunately this setback is not his only problem—Mike’s “enemy since birth,” the bully Jackson, is up to his mean tricks again, and Mike is now forced to spend after-school hours with new-girl Nora, his next-door neighbor.
Hanging out with Nora turns out not so bad, especially when the two stumble upon their town’s one and only magic shop, The White Rabbit. Here at last is something Mike is interested in, and, wonder of wonders, while the store’s eccentric owner, Mr. Zerlin, is explaining some tricks to him, Mike actually manages to sit still!
The days pass and Mike shows a real talent for magic tricks—and maybe for something more than just a trick. Could magic be real? Is Mr. Zerlin a real magician? And, most importantly, does Mike have some magic in him, too?
about the author
Kate Egan began her career in publishing as a freelance editor. She has edited books by such notable authors as Tamora Pierce, Cynthia Lord, and Suzanne Collins. Yes, she got some of the first-ever looks at The Hunger Games! Kate edits both fiction and non-fiction for preschool kids through high school.
She also writes some of her own fiction for young readers. Her first picture book was Kate and Nate are Running Late!, which on most days is an accurate description of her household schedule.
Kate, her husband, and their two kids live in Brunswick, Maine.
Sources:
Author page: Macmillan
Author interview: Maine
Book Trailer: The Vanishing Coin
Also by Kate Egan:
The Disappearing Magician (Magic Shop, Book 4). Feiwel and Friends. May 2015.
The Great Escape (Magic Shop, Book 3). Feiwel and Friends. 2014.
The Incredible Twisting Arm (Magic Shop, Book 2). Feiwel and Friends. 2014.
read more!
Hocus Pocus Hotel (Book 1) by Michael Dahl
The Abracadabra Hotel caters to magicians, and strange things are happening. Lights are flickering, eerie sounds can be heard, and shower curtains, bowling pins, and serving spoons have gone missing…along with one of the guests! The parents of bully Tyler Yu work at the hotel, and Tyler is forcing nerdy Charlie to help him figure out if the hotel really has a ghost!
The Incredible Twisting Arm (Magic Shop, Book 2) by Kate Egan
Mike’s life is looking up. After discovering The White Rabbit, he has been able to concentrate in school, even becoming a model student. But it is still hard work, and it only gets harder after he misses a special magic show because he didn’t have a ride to the shop. Somehow, Mike has to convince his parents—perhaps with magical persuasion—to let him ride to the shop by himself.
Nothing Up My Sleeve by Diana Lopez
Dominic, Loop, and Z love to compete, and when they discover a new magic shop in town they plan to outdo one another’s tricks all summer. But this magic shop is special; it has the Vault, where they meet a real live magician who helps them enter a huge, end-of-summer magic competition. But the competition is expensive, and they all have family problems to consider. On top of that, Ariel, last year’s champion, plans to sabotage them to keep her position!