N. M. Bodecker – illustratör

The wishing well is all used up, its magic drained, its enchantment gone dry. Or has it? In a reckless moment, Gordy threatens the old well, telling it to get going with its magic o"r else! "and that seems to do the trick. Suddenly Laura, Lydia, James, and Kip who feared their autumn would unfold without magic are plunged into just the sort of outlandish adventures they'd longed for. But is it "really" the well's magic that transforms troublemaker Dicky LeBaron from ne'er-do-well to hero? Or keeps Appledore's orchard and love life in bloom? Or sends James on a doubly daring rescue of a damsel in distress? What does it matter? Sometimes the best kind of magic is the kind that isn't so magical at all. . . ."

Book five in the series called "truly magic in a reader's hands" by Jack Gantos, Newbery Medal winner for Dead End in Norvelt.

When is magic not magic?

Laura is a girl who goes out of her way to find adventure. So when her family moves to a house with a well in the yard--a wishing well, according to Lydia, Laura's opinionated new neighbor--Laura is all too willing to make a wish and see what happens. Plenty happens. Thanks to the well, Laura and her new friends help save Miss Isabella's house from foreclosure, rescue the almost long-lost heir to a fortune, and even solve the mystery of the antique desk.

But is the well truly granting wishes? Or is something else responsible for the adventures of that summer?

This funny and gentle classic series is an enjoyable read-aloud and also a strong choice for independent reading. For fans of such favorite series as The Penderwicks and The Vanderbeekers.

Enjoy all seven of the middle grade novels in Edward Eager's beloved Tales of Magic series!