Rating: 
Summary: Better By Half
Review: So this is what Dr. Eager did in his spare time. If Half Magic is indicative of his bedside manner, he must have been a very good doctor indeed. For this is one of those sleepy time read-in-bed books like the Chronicles of Narnia, that gently draw you into their fantastic world at that drowsy time when good things seem so much more possible and you're about to drift off into the Land of Nod.Half Magic is written in that wonderful, light, easy 'fifties style that gets so easily overlooked in favor of more extreme excitements. Later discovered, though, one simply wonders how writing could have ever been this good. A wonderfully understated example is shown in the genial attitude of the good samaritan stranger who helps out the young adventurers. He's first respectful of their mother,then falls more and more in love as the book goes on. This undercurrent is so subdued and tasteful that it's barely noticeable amid the magical misadventures until the conclusion of the book. The Leave it to Beaver approach to problem solving is also delighfully refreshing--the spells only half work; unlike the obvious fantasy formulae in countless later books and movies, the magic leaves plenty of room for human ingenuity and skill,as well as the need to make decisions. Eager's other great fantasy, Knight's Castle, also continues in this vein, the hyjinks and hilarity deriving from,and always affirming,the human.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic---funny and brilliant!
Review: I read all of Edward Eager's books when I was a child and I have been reading them at least once a year ever since. If you haven't read any of them, start with Half Magic. Four children---Jane, Mark, Katherine and Martha---find a magic nickel. The nickel gives the wisher only half of what he or she wishes for---which means that every magic adventure always turns out a little odd (even after the children have realized that they have to wish for twice of everything). The characters are fantastic. I come from a family which has the exact same structure (girl, boy, girl, girl) as the children in Half Magic and I always saw my older sisters and brother in Jane (bossy), Katherine ("docile and a comfort to their mother"---which she brags about!) and Mark (the only boy who gets to lead a wonderful life as the only boy!). I'm sure my siblings also saw me in Martha (stubborn and with a wild streak!). Even if you don't come from a family like Martha's, you will recognize the characters immediately. I can't recommend this highly enough. If you haven't read it, order it immediately (or at least run to the library to check it out---but you'll want to own this so you can read and re-read it again and again).
Rating: 
Summary: Feel the Magic
Review: Half Magic is about a magic penny that grants half wishes. The penny came from an ancient temple. You need to wish for twice as much as you want to get the whole wish. But most of the time you get half wishes. Before you wish, you need to think seriously about what you want. That way you have a better chance of getting your whole wish granted.
Half Magic is about magic and adventure. The main characters go on many adventures because of the penny. Four children go on three main journeys. They go to a desert, medieval times, and one of the kids changes families!
I believe that Half Magic is a unique book because the magic is powerful and special. I also like the adventure. My favorite part in Half Magic was when they go to medieval times!
Rating:
Summary: Classic mix of everday with fantasy
Review: I have been reading this more or less my entire life. It is one of those books that cannot be improved upon; it is first-rate fantasy, and believable to kids--and yet its appeal does not rest on that but on the four siblings' rapport with one another. While they are having a magical holiday, their practical (if usually misguided) use of the magic nickel is mostly to deal with family troubles. Enjoy, and give to your kids.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: This book is ver fresh and original. It has many elements that add to this book constantly. Eager's books are always excellent for a light, good read. I defitetely reccommend this and all of his other books.
Rating: 
Summary: Strangely similar to Nesbit....
Review: ...I definitely would have enjoyed Eager much more had I not read Nesbit first. As it was, I read "Half Magic" after I read its inspiration by Edith Nesbit, "The Enchanted Castle" (if you look somewhere around page 5 in "Half Magic" you will find this is the book the children are reading; Eager generally seems to note which Nesbit book brought about his somewhere early in the story). Similarities include everything from the book's conclusion (they end with almost the same result, but I'm not giving spoilers ~_^), to things that occur from the wishing- for instance when Jane ends up as almost another person in "Half Magic," the same sort of thing happens to Jimmy in "The Enchanted Castle." Plot devices are also the same- there is a certain point in "The Enchanted Castle" where the magic ring does seem to grant wishes, but the amount of time it does so decreases by halves until the children fear the magic in the ring will run out- this is almost the basic plot of "Half Magic." It seems almost as though Eager removed and simplified a part of Nesbit's story, then enlarged upon it. And that's okay, really. This book is not just a watered down version of "The Enchanted Castle." It is a story in its own right, with different characters who have a tale which is mostly different from the characters and story of Nesbit's. "Half Magic" works quite well as a sweet, entertaining children's story (with good morals, as well), and "The Enchanted Castle" has all the symbolism and somewhat pagan feel a work of Nesbit should. If you liked "Half Magic" but might also enjoy a deeper story, please try some Nesbit. Eager himself acknowledged his debt to her- "so that any child who likes my books and doesn't know hers may be led back to the master of us all."
Rating:
Summary: Lu He p.3
Review: This book is about a girl named Jane and her brother and sisters. They found a coin and at first they did not know that it grants them wishes; however; it only grants half of the wish. So, they have to say twice as much as the wish. First, they wished that they could go in the medieval times. They went there and helped a warrior. Then, they went to the desert. They went through many adventures. At last, they dropped the coin outside the window and let the others start granting wishes. Their mother got married too! I liked this book because I like reading adventurous stories and the book was funny too. There was magic and they get to visit pass times. It is fun to have brothers or sisters with you when you do something. This book taught me that always work together. Help other and never give up. If I were them, I would be really happy to go through all those exciting trips to places. The reason that I chose this book is because I liked the cover of the book. On the cover, there are kids looking at broken parts of the knights. It looked like that they were in a castle and they are walking on the bricks. They looked like that they were amazed and astonished. The title of the book also sounded interesting to me. When I flipped through the book, the pictures were weird and funny. It seemed like that they are in different places all the time.
Rating:
Summary: Magic with a twist.
Review: I don't usually read fantasy stories, but this one caught my eye in the library when I was eight. I read it and was so enthralled that I bought my own copy, which I still have. A rather funny tale, it's set in the late 19-teens or early 1920s and centers around four children who discover a nickel in the sidewalk that's not a nickel: it's a magic talisman. The talisman is not entirely magic, the children discover. It's half magic. It grants half of each thing they wish. The results are hilarious: just a desert instead of a desert island, a dollhouse fire instead of a house fire, half-invisiblity, and so on. It's magic with a twist, and I enjoyed it very much.
Rating:
Summary: Exellent!!
Review: This book is so original, funny, and for kids! I love this book, and whenever someone asks what my favorite book is, I blurt out "Half Magic!" without having to think. Any kid will be addicted to this book! Parents, BUY THIS!!!
Rating:
Summary: The Get Better Book
Review: Yeasterday... the 28th of March I had a headach. My mom suggested we get a book on tape to keep me from thinking about my head. I quickly chose Half Magic over all the others. I am glad I did. This book tells of a magical day. Eager used so much logic also. Read this book and also learn about how to deal with magical reasons. -[name]
PS: My headach was gone by the end of the 3 1/2 hour long book.
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