Review Detail

What I liked: The Magician Next Door by Rachel Chivers Khoo took me on a nostalgic kind of adventure - the kind I loved back when I was still reading Rainbow Magic books and The Bliss Bakery books in elementary. I loved the characters. We have a young girl who has moved away from her best friend and the life she known to a whole new town where she knows no one, and she is also grieving the loss of her mother. I loved the setting of Mourne mountains and the occupation that her dad switched over to so that he could have more time with his daughter. I also loved this book's simple message - that home is about the people, and you should not be afraid of change. It was whimsical, wholesome, and delightful.
Final Verdict: As an adult reading this, it definitely wasn't the "best" book I've ever read, but even now, I had such a fun time reading it. If my 9-year-old self had found this book at the library, I would probably have ended up borrowing it.