cgf@infinet.UUCP (Chris Faylor) (10/17/85)
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When I was in the third grade (about 24 years ago) I read a book that
sort of got me started on science fiction/fantasy. It involved some
kids who found an old coin which granted them wishes... sort of.
The coin was so old that they had to wish for everything twice to
get a complete wish, otherwise they only got half of what they
wished for.
I only remember brief scenes beyond that. I think I remember
that they went back in time and met Merlin at King Arthur's Court
and he considered taking the coin away from them until they talked
him out of it. I remember that they tried to modify the behavior of
their mother (who was giving them a hard time) to make her less
strict and were not pleased with the outcome. Eventually the coin
stopped working for them and they passed it along to someone else.
I would really like to find this book again. It invoked a sense
of wonder in me that I have not forgotten.
--
-cgf-
I feel more like I do now than I did when I first got here.
decvax!wanginst!infinet!cgfgail@calmasd.UUCP (Gail B. Hanrahan) (10/21/85)
In article <274@infinet.UUCP> cgf@infinet.UUCP (Chris Faylor) writes: >When I was in the third grade (about 24 years ago) I read a book that >sort of got me started on science fiction/fantasy. It involved some >kids who found an old coin which granted them wishes... sort of. >The coin was so old that they had to wish for everything twice to >get a complete wish, otherwise they only got half of what they >wished for. This is HALF MAGIC, by Edward Eager. Three libraries I've been in have had Eager's books in the children's section, so you might try there. His other books are KNIGHT'S CASTLE THE TIME GARDEN* SEVEN DAY MAGIC* THE WELL-WISHERS* MAGIC OR NOT and one other that I can't remember at the moment. (*If anyone has copies of these books that they wish to sell, please send me mail.) -- Gail Bayley Hanrahan Calma Company, San Diego {ihnp4,decvax,ucbvax}!sdcsvax!calmasd!gail
oday@hplabsc.UUCP (Vicki O'Day) (10/21/85)
The book you are looking for about a coin that grants wishes is called Half Magic, by Edward Eager. He is one of my favorite children's authors, and wrote six or seven other books in the same style as Half Magic. Some others are: Knight's Castle, Seven Day Magic and Magic By the Lake. The children in his books are very believable (they are childish, instead of being like little adults), and the stories have a humorous style. Eager (and his characters) are admirers of Edith Nesbit, another great writer of books with magic. His books are similar to hers, but easier for kids to read because they are set in a more recognizable present. Vicki O'Day hplabs!oday
francis@osu-eddie.UUCP (RD Francis) (10/22/85)
> When I was in the third grade (about 24 years ago) I read a book that > sort of got me started on science fiction/fantasy. It involved some > kids who found an old coin which granted them wishes... sort of. > The coin was so old that they had to wish for everything twice to > get a complete wish, otherwise they only got half of what they > wished for. The name of the book is _Half_Magic_, and it is by Edward Eager. He wrote a number of other books, some of them involving the same characters -- let's see... Magic by the Lake The Well-Wishers Seven-Day Magic and three others that I can't remember at the moment. Excellent read -- if you don't think of yourself as being too old to read them ( I don't -- I borrowed them of a friend last spring ) RD Fozz Francis ..!cbosgd!osu-eddie!francis or francis@osu-eddie.UUCP
ccrrick@ucdavis.UUCP (Rick Heli) (11/04/85)
> {} > > When I was in the third grade (about 24 years ago) I read a book that > sort of got me started on science fiction/fantasy. It involved some > kids who found an old coin which granted them wishes... sort of. > The coin was so old that they had to wish for everything twice to > get a complete wish, otherwise they only got half of what they > wished for. > > I only remember brief scenes beyond that. I think I remember > that they went back in time and met Merlin at King Arthur's Court > and he considered taking the coin away from them until they talked > him out of it. I remember that they tried to modify the behavior of > their mother (who was giving them a hard time) to make her less > strict and were not pleased with the outcome. Eventually the coin > stopped working for them and they passed it along to someone else. > > I would really like to find this book again. It invoked a sense > of wonder in me that I have not forgotten. > Half Magic by Edward Eager. He also wrote sequels called Knight's Castle (the best in my opinion) in which the children of the protagonists in Half Magic relive Ivanhoe, Magic by the Lake which featured the same characters as in Half Magic and 2 or 3 other books with similar features. These books are wonderful and I do my best to introduce them to all young children of my acquaintance. -- --rick heli (... ucbvax!ucdavis!ccrrick)