3½-4 stars. 9781471159817 A Night at the Frost Fair by Emma Carroll - 4/5 Stars
The Magic of Midwinter by Amy Alward - 4/5 Stars
The Voice in the Snow by Michelle Harrison - 5/5 Stars
The Cold-Hearted by Geraldine McCaughrean - 2/5 Stars
Casse-Noisette by Katherine Woodfine - 4/5 Stars
Someone Like the Snow Queen by Berlin Doherty - 3/5 Stars
The Room With the Mountain View by Lauren St John - 4.5/5 Stars
Snow by Michelle Magorian - 3/5 Stars
Into the Mountain by Jamila Gavin - 3/5 Stars
The Wishing Book by Piers Torday - 3/5 Stars
The Snow Dragon by Abi Elphinstone - 3.5/5 Stars 9781471159817 (3.5 stars out of 5) 9781471159817 4,00
Bardzo podobała mi się ta książka. Niektóre opowiadania były lepsze niektóre gorsze ale i tak bardzo polecam 9781471159817 I'm kind of happy and disappointed at the same time. First of all, the edition that I read isn't on Goodreads, which is sad, because the cover was gorgeous. And second, in case you didn't know, Winter Magic is a collection of short stories for children between the ages of 8-12 (I think). I read this because hey, it's nearly Christmas, and let's all read children's books at Christmas. I did really like this for the most part, but there were some elements which I found disappointing. Which is generally the case in a collection of short stories.
First there's that small issue - I didn't like all the stories. But I mean, that's pretty normal. I'm not going to like everything. Overall, I think all the stories were really well written. I preferred the magical ones, the delicate, whimsical ones. They made a deeper impression on me. My favourites of the book were The Voice in the Snow by Michelle Harrison and The Snow Dragon by Abi Elphinstone. These two were delightful and well written stories that didn't drag.
But I think the biggest issue I had with this collection was that some of the authors were a bit lazy. I mean, it's not that difficult of a task to write a short story for a collection, but some of them were writing fanfiction of their proper books. Or not really - they were writing stories connected to their other books. And although they were wintery, I don't feel like they fitted with the book, which is supposed to be like a completely separate and original selection of stories. I didn't want them to be linked to author's previous works. That being said, I didn't think the fanfiction was bad - one was one of my favourite stories in the book. (though I didn't really see how it COULD be connected to a book - which I haven't read so I shouldn't really have an opinion). The other thing I was sad about was that Michelle Magorian, whose story I was looking forwards to reading, only wrote a poem and I thought (though this is only my opinion some people might think it's amazing good on you) it wasn't really that impressive. But then again, I prefer more modern poetry.
However, I thought this was a really nice idea. It was a really great Christmas read that I think is nice to dip in and out of, and the stories are all really different. All of them feel cosy and great to read on a dark night. 9781471159817
A beautiful and classic anthology of frosty, magical short stories from acclaimed children’s writers.
The Dreamsnatcher’s Abi Elphinstone heads up this gorgeous collection of wintery stories, featuring snow queens, frost fairs, snow dragons and pied pipers . . . from classic children’s writers Michelle Magorian, Geraldine McCaughrean, Jamila Gavin, Berlie Doherty, Katherine Woodfine, Piers Torday, Lauren St John, Amy Alward, Michelle Harrison and Emma Carroll.
‘Captures all the excitement of the season’ The Guardian
An unmissable, enchanting treat of a collection that will be enjoyed for years to come, by readers of all ages.
Also by Abi Elphinstone:
The Dreamsnatcher
The Shadow Keeper
The Night Spinner
Sky Song
Everdark (World Book Day)
Rumblestar
Jungledrop
The Crackledawn Dragon
Everdark Winter Magic
Зимова магія це збірка оповідань з різдвяною атмосферою. Два оповідання мені дуже сподобались, інші були посередніми, але ще два були якісь жахливі. Я розумію що ця книга дитяча, але не придумати нічого нового і цікавого, а переписати Снігову Королеву кожен може. 9781471159817
‘Winter is a season that sparkles with magic and transforms our ordinary world into a glittering kingdom: rooftops covered in snow, lakes glazed with ice and windows frosted white. It is a time of year that invites exploration and whispers of adventure. And at the heart of it all there is a sense of longing – for snowflakes, stockings and sledging, of course – but also, for stories.’ – Abi Elphinstone
Winter Magic is a wonderfully festive collection of short stories, and one poem, curated by Abi Elphinstone and featuring ten other excellent writers. Adventures in the snow, glittering trees, frost-covered villages, dark nights, hot chocolate and gingerbread, magic, friendship – all these things come together in this collection of stories to create a true delight that isn’t just for Christmas.
A Night at the Frost Fair by Emma Carroll – 4/5 stars. Such a lovely little story. I adore Emma Carroll’s novels and this short story did not disappoint either.
The Magic of Midwinter by Amy Alward – 3.5/5 stars
The Voice in the Snow by Michelle Harrison – 5/5 stars. LOVED IT. How Michelle Harrison created such a complex and emotive story in forty pages is beyond me; the magic, the atmosphere, and the lyrical writing were superb.
The Cold-Hearted by Geraldine McCaughrean – 4/5 stars. Unexpectedly good.
Casse-Noisette by Katherine Woodfine – 5/5 stars. Ballet, imperial Russia, winter, Christmas, magic of all kinds, warmth. I adored this story; there’s something about Russia, winter, and ballet that evokes a powerful feeling of excitement and nostalgia within me, and this tale was no different. It is a perfect Christmas story that completely transports you to the rehearsals and opening night of The Nutcracker, so many Christmases ago.
Someone Like the Snow Queen by Berlie Doherty – 4/5 stars. A story with a very important and heart-warming message.
The Room with the Mountain View by Lauren St John – 3/5 stars
Snow by Michelle Magorian – 4/5 stars. Snow is the only poem in the collection and it is pure childhood nostalgia.
Into the Mountain by Jamila Gavin – 4/5 stars
The Wishing Book by Piers Torday – 3.5/5 stars
The Snow Dragon by Abi Elphinstone – 4/5 stars. A dragon made of snow, a sausage dog called Herbert, and a girl with hair as white as snowdrops. Abi Elphinstone’s The Snow Dragon finishes this delightful collection with as much magic as she introduced it with.
‘Be content. Be watchful. Be brave.’ He glanced towards the kennel and the snow around his big, dark eyes gathered into wrinkles. ‘And never stop believing in miracles.’9781471159817 Very cute and very atmospheric! Perfect for cozy reading with a candle and a blanket 🖤❄️ 9781471159817 Winter Magic is an anthology of short stories all revolving around the winter season, written by a number of children's authors. The collection was curated by Abi Elphinstone, who also has a story of her own within the book, alongside ten other authors. The author that drew me to the book initially was Emma Carroll, who is my favourite middle grade author, and her story within definitely didn't disappoint. Although going in knowing only the one author, I've come away wanting to read the entire works of all the authors inside!
Captivating from the very introduction, Winter Magic is the kind of book that's great to dip in and out of, enveloping you in warm winter fuzzies with every page you turn. Naturally, with a collection of short stories like this, certain stories are going to be favoured over others and below I'm sharing with you my favourite five stories from within the book.
A NIGHT AT THE FROST FAIR BY EMMA CARROLL
After leaving her Grandma in a care home, and travelling back through a busy London on a winter's night with her family, Maya soon finds herself in a very different kind of busy London... A London from many, many years ago. Having travelled through time with a gift given to her by her Grandma, Maya's world is turned upside down but ultimately changed for the better. A Night at the Frost Fair was a lovely opening to the eleven stories, and such an atmospheric read. Emma Carroll does winter so well.
SOMEONE LIKE THE SNOW QUEEN BY BERLIE DOHERTY
Inspired by the renowned story of the Snow Queen, Orla finds herself on a journey of discovery after allowing her younger brother to fend for himself and ultimately be lead away by the 'Snow Queen'. This is one of those stories that has a strong core and leaves you with a message concluding in a happy ending.
THE ROOM WITH THE MOUNTAIN VIEW BY LAUREN ST JOHN
The Room with the Mountain View is a mystery read that's packed full of adventure and a little reminiscent of the film Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock (as is noted within the story itself).
SNOW BY MICHELLE MAGORIAN
The only poem with this anthology, Snow is definitely one of the pages that wraps you up in those warm winter fuzzies that I mentioned before.
THE SNOW DRAGON BY ABI ELPHINSTONE
On the eve of Christmas, Phoebe is the only child left in a not so nice orphanage, with a rather horrible lady in charge who does nothing but put Phoebe down and belittle her - seriously, this woman is vile! Locked in a dog kennel outside of the orphanage building itself, Phoebe is greeted by a snow dragon who is about to take his annual Christmas Eve flight, and Phoebe is welcomed along for the ride. This story is such a heart warming one and a wonderful ending to the collection as a whole.
There are a variety of themes, other than being centred around winter, running through the stories in Winter Magic and I loved that each story had its own personal message or moral portrayed to the reader. There really is something for everyone in this book - whether you're looking to time travel, play a leading role in the production of The Nutcracker, meet a Snow Queen, fly over land and sea on a Snow Dragon, or be transported back to the nostalgia of childhood and be full of wonder and curiosity as we all are as youngsters.
Winter Magic is one of those charming winter reads that I know I'll return to in the future... And one I also look forward to sharing with my son in a good few years. 9781471159817 Ratings by individual stories:
A Night at the Frost Fair - 4
The Magic of Midwinter - 3
The Voice in the Snow - DNF
The Cold-Hearted - 2
Casse-Noisette - 3
Someone Like the Snow Queen - 4
The Room with the Mountain View - 4
Snow - Poem, No Rating
Into the Mountain - 3
The Wishing Book - 3
The Snow Dragon - 3
*these ratings are generous and objective, seeing as this wasn’t my favorite short story collection. 9781471159817
