The Mystwick School of Musicraft

October 1, 2019
A toe-tapping fantasy novel mixes music and mystery. Aficionados of middle-grade fantasy may find the premise recognizable: A parentless 12-year-old with unusual magical gifts is summoned to attend an elite boarding school in order to hone their craft. What makes this, YA author Khoury's middle-grade debut, stand out is the focus on a special type of magic involving spells cast by playing musical instruments. After narrowly being accepted into Mystwick to study Musicraft with the most talented musicians in the world, Amelia Jones must prove that she has what it takes to perform musical spells and secure her spot at the school--or risk expulsion. Amelia struggles with difficult classes, mountains of homework, plus a roommate who hates her, and she quickly learns that someone--or something--seems to have it out for her. Staying at Mystwick will be more difficult than she ever imagined. Amelia's only hope is the music she knows she is capable of creating, but she must find the courage and confidence to play it. Frenna's lightly cartoony grayscale illustrations bring some of the pivotal scenes to life. Sparse physical descriptions paired with student names from a variety of cultures seem like a missed opportunity to describe ethnic and racial diversity explicitly; Amelia is white. Victoria, a guitarist who uses a wheelchair, is a featured secondary character. A few missed notes don't prevent this novel from delivering a satisfying story even if the tune is familiar. (Fantasy. 9-13)

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October 14, 2019
In this enjoyable middle grade fantasy, a young woman achieves her dream of enrollment in a prestigious school where she creates magic through music, but when her admission is revealed to be the result of mistaken identity, she must prove her worth or risk expulsion. Flutist Amelia Jones, 12, yearns to follow in her deceased mother’s footsteps as a Maestro, one of the world’s most powerful and respected musicians. After arriving at the Mystwick School, however, she’s plagued by mistakes, misfortune, and magical mishaps. Suspecting she may be haunted by the other Amelia Jones—the one whose death sparked her acceptance—Amelia enlists the aid of her antagonistic roommate Darby and her new friend Jai to figure out what’s happening at Mystwick. Imagining a world in which music and magic interweave, Khoury (Last of Her Name) offers up a fanciful tale populated by engaging characters and concepts (such as the musicat, capable of purring people to sleep). The story’s dark undertone and emotional stakes enhance Amelia’s struggle to succeed against steep odds, and Federica Frenna’s stylized illustrations further the book’s charming feel. Ages 10–12. Author’s agent: Lucy Carson, the Friedrich Agency.

December 1, 2019

Gr 4-7-Magic and music blend in this "Harry Potter"-esque fantasy. Amelia Jones has always longed to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a Maestro, or a musician who controls the magic of music. In Amelia's world, Musicraft powers everything from construction to farming to medicine. To achieve her dreams, she must get into the Mystwick School of Musicraft. But once she's accidentally admitted, she must prove to the school and to herself that she belongs there. Beautiful imagery describes magic emerging from instruments. Frenna's cartoons depict important moments but would have been more effective in color. The book's climax will send a chill down readers' spines. Like Harry Potter, Amelia is an orphan who lives with a relative who wants nothing to do with magic, and she also attends a magical boarding school that contains an enchanted forest and lake and divides students into four groupings (at Mystwick, the groups are wood, percussion, brass, and strings). VERDICT For fans of "Harry Potter" who don't want to stray too far from Hogwarts but are in need of new adventures.-Kerri Williams, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2019
Grades 4-7 All Amelia Jones wants is to study magic at the Mystwick School of Musicraft, like her mother did before her mysterious death. After botching the audition, however, Amelia is shocked to receive an acceptance letter. As it happens, the letter was meant for a different, deceased Amelia Jones, but the maestros in charge of the school grant our Amelia two months to prove herself. This is a book that will inevitably face unfair comparisons to the Harry Potter series, and while there are strong similarities, that isn't a bad thing. The concept of musicraft?producing magic by playing music?feels fresh and is undeniably appealing, and who is going to say no to a trip to another magical boarding school? The storytelling flows, pulling readers along, and some particularly grand, magical sequences (including a legitimately epic ending) make this stand-alone fantasy a memorable adventure. It may not spawn a multi-billion-dollar franchise, but it's full of heart, clever plotting, and strong world building that young readers, musicians and otherwise, will enjoy escaping to.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)