Just Add Magic facts for kids
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| Author | Cindy Callaghan |
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| Country | US |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Juvenile Fantasy |
| Published | 2010, (Aladdin) |
| Pages | 240 |
| ISBN | 978-1-4424-0268-3 |
Just Add Magic is a fun fantasy novel written by Cindy Callaghan. It came out in 2010. The story is about three best friends who discover a secret, magical cookbook. They start a special cooking club using its strange recipes. This book also has a sequel called Potion Problems, released in 2018. Later, Amazon Studios turned the book into a popular TV show with the same name.
The Magical Story
The book follows three middle school friends: Kelly, Darbie, and Hannah. They find an old World Book Encyclopedia in Kelly's attic. Inside, they discover that the regular entries are covered by unusual recipes. These recipes have funny names like "Shut 'Em Up Shortcake" and "Hazelnut Healing Tart".
Kelly thinks this is the perfect chance to start a secret cooking club. She wants to share it with her two best friends, Darbie and Hannah. They must keep their magical club a secret from Kelly's neighbor, Charlotte, who can be a bit mean.
Strange Side Effects
Soon, the girls realize these recipes are not ordinary. Kelly's little brother eats some "Shut 'Em Up Shortcake" and suddenly cannot speak. Darbie tries the same shortcake and cannot stop talking. This happens right before her basketball tryouts! Kelly and Darbie quickly believe the recipes are magical. Hannah, however, remains a bit doubtful at first.
Balancing the Magic
After using some recipes, the friends start having a streak of bad luck. They soon become friends with Señora Perez, who owns a shop called La Cocina. This is where they buy the special ingredients for their magical cooking. Señora Perez teaches them about the Law of Returns. This means that good deeds bring good things, and bad deeds can bring bad things.
The girls decide they need to balance out their magic. They start doing good deeds around their town. Sometimes these good deeds are difficult, but they work hard to make things right.
TV Show Adaptation
Amazon Studios decided to turn the Just Add Magic novel into a TV show. They created a pilot episode in 2015. Because people loved the pilot so much, Amazon ordered a full season of the show.
