About This Book
The Magic City tells the story of Philip, a ten-year-old boy who feels adrift and unhappy after his sister Helen marries and he moves to live with her new step-daughter, Lucy. To cope with his loneliness and the unfamiliar surroundings, Philip constructs an elaborate miniature city using everyday household objects like books, chessmen, and candlesticks. Through a magical twist, he finds himself transported into this city, which is now alive with its own inhabitants and challenges. Philip learns of a prophecy foretelling a Deliverer and a Destroyer, and he must complete seven "Great Deeds" to prove himself the Deliverer. Much to his initial annoyance, Lucy also enters the city and becomes his co-Deliverer, leading to a shared adventure of bravery, problem-solving, and unexpected friendship. This classic fantasy explores themes of imagination, resilience, and finding belonging in new circumstances.
An extremely unhappy ten-year-old magically escapes into a city he has built out of books, chessmen, candlesticks, and other household items.
Concepts
Loneliness & BelongingSelf-Confidence & IdentityResilience & PerseveranceFear & BraveryCreativity & ImaginationTeamwork & CollaborationGood vs. EvilLove & FamilyCuriosity & WonderAnger & FrustrationMovingBeing DifferentMaking FriendsGrowing UpSibling RivalryFantasy & MagicFamily & SiblingsAnimalsAdventurePuzzles & Games
peril_danger
separation_from_parent
Discussion Prompts
1
If you could build a magical city from things in your house, what would you use and what would it be like?
2
Philip felt lonely at the beginning of the story. How did building the city and going on the adventure help him feel better?
3
What was the hardest "Great Deed" Philip and Lucy had to accomplish, and why?
4
How did Philip and Lucy learn to work together, even when they didn't always agree?
5
Have you ever felt like you were in a new or unfamiliar situation, like Philip moving to The Grange? How did you handle it?
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