Kid Tested, Librarian Approved: Magical Realism
Magical realism is a fascinating and fairly "new" style of literature that blends realistic fiction with fantastic and mythical elements. It was originally a Latin-American story telling technique that was first officially recognized in the 1940s, but has been around for much much longer. Middle grade authors from all sorts of backgrounds and cultures have started to use magical realism in the most wonderful ways. Here are a few titles to get you started and more suggestions at the bottom of the article.
Savvy by Ingrid Law
The Beaumont family has a secret that is generations old. Each member of the family has a supernatural power, called a "savvy" by the family, that presents itself when they turn 13. Now it's Mibs's turn but two days before her birthday her dad,is in a terrible accident. She decides she needs to get to the hospital and prove her savvy can save him. Before she knows it Mibs is on a grand adventure that helps her discover what it means to grow up and that other people in her life have a few secrets of their own.
A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano
Leonora's family owns a very beloved bakery in Texas that makes wonderful cookies and cakes. Leo is hopeful this year she'll be able to help with the family's most important celebration, the Dia de los Muertos festival. Unfortunately her family insists she's still too young.
So Leo takes things into her own hands and sneaks out of school to go to the bakery. She never expected to learn that the women in her family are witches of Mexican ancestry called brujas and they put a little bit of magic into everything they make at the bakery. Leo realizes she has the magic as well but can't let her family know about it. When her best friend needs help, Leo decides to try out her craft but things don't exactly go as planned.
When You Trap A Tiger by Tae Keller
Lily's grandmother, her Halmoni, is sick and her family moved in with her to help her out. Things seem to be going okay until a magical tiger, straight from a Korean folktale, arrives. This leads Lily down the rabbit hole that is her secret family history.
Apparently long ago Halmoni stole something from the tigers and they want it back. So the tigers want to strike a deal with Lily – return what her grandmother stole in exchange for Halmoni's health. As much as she wants to agree, Lily knows from the stories that tigers are always tricky. Along with her sister and her friend Ricky, Lily begins to find the courage to deal with a tiger.
