This book, for older primary-age children who are confident to read alone, contains three separate stories, all with the central character of Mary, the Finder. Mary is magical and, along with Elf Helpers, goes on adventures to help right wrongs in the world.
The author’s style reminded me a little of Enid Blyton’s ‘Magic Faraway Tree’ – a book that I loved as a child – and I feel that there could be more stories to be written about Mary and her magical missions. The significant inclusion of animals within each storyline will appeal to children with much-loved pets, or to those who love animals generally.
The chapters are a good length, also containing scene breaks at appropriate times, to enable a child to read as much or a little as wanted. There were occasional punctuation errors, particularly around dialogue and the use of commas, but this did not detract from the imaginative storylines or likeable characters.
I would suggest that the author not give away too much in the precis at the beginning of each section. Knowing why something has happened before reading the actual story was a little disappointing. Overall, an enjoyable read, with a great message for children about helping, doing their best, and being kind. I award, The Search for Magic, 4 stars.
