The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck

                Move over Harry Potter, Hobart Hucklebuck is the new kid in the world of magic. In Magic and Mayhem, Stan Swanson brings to life a world of magic where everyday appliances and objects come “pre-enchanted” and the simple act of sweeping with a broom is considered the “old way”. Even the bread walks to the toaster and hops in on command. When all of this stops, Hobart’s little town turns upside down and his grandfather is blamed for all of the troubles and put in jail. Hobart and his two friends (and the town bully) decide to investigate and find out what is really going on. They often find themselves in a pickle, including a shrinking potion that goes haywire. This is the perfect book to get a tween to start reading. The world that Mr. Swanson has created is fun and creative, even down to the phrases the kids use such as something being “thermal” meaning it’s cool. I’ve read other books by this author and enjoyed them as much as I loved this one. Mr. Swanson’s ability to invent the characters’ names alone shows how invested he becomes in this world as he writes and it’s that reason that makes the reader want to become invested too. This would make a great television series and, at the very least, a great book series.