The Book of Magic

October 1, 2011

Gr 4-7-Guides to long-running series have two important jobs. They should remind fans of all the things they particularly love about the books, and they should whet the appetites of newcomers, thus creating more fans. Barron's guide to his 12-book saga about Merlin succeeds in both objectives. The tone is breezy and cheerful, a bit like having a friend chat with you about his favorite books. Information about characters, creatures, places, and things is included. Buy where the series is popular.-Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2011
Grades 6-9 In this encyclopedic companion volume, purportedly Merlin's journal, Barron brings together a great deal of information and lore drawn from his Merlin series and offers short summaries of Strange Characters, Wondrous Places, and Magical Terms, arranged under the headings Fincayra, Avalon, Otherworld, and Earth. A time line and an index make the contents accessible. Besides the attractive black-and-white maps and small illustrations with the appearance of woodcuts, dramatic full-color illustrations appear at intervals throughout. Primarily of interest to dedicated fans, this will also answer questions for readers with gaps in their memory or knowledge of Barron's richly imagined Merlin saga.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2012
This companion guide to Barron's Merlin books covers the stories' various realms and details the characters and places found in each. Within every entry, bold text indicates terms that have their own subentries. As a stand-alone book it lacks context, but it's a useful resource if you've read the series. Illustrations and maps break up the pages.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)