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Find out moreThis magical adventure rooted in real-life sees a daring dyspraxic heroine find her wings to save a city under siege
The first in a duology from Elle McNicoll, multi-award-winning author of A Kind of Spark, Like a Charm is ablaze with magic, mythical beings, and the indomitable derring-do of its inspirational neuro-divergent heroine. Also underpinned by powerful messages around self-discovery and community, and the power of books and booksellers, it delivers all the thrills and twists of a classic adventure with contemporary verve.
Ramya’s adventure begins with words of warning from her grandfather: “Beware the Sirens.” After she and her family relocate to Edinburgh, Ramya is initially thrown by the magic that’s presented to her when she inherits a mysterious book from her beloved grandfather: “Learning difficulties and magic seem equally mysterious to me. To know that I might have both in me is too much to think about at this moment”. But it’s not long before she’s drawn into a secret world of magical beings - and family secrets - and realises that “Magic is a talent. Something that relies on natural ability”. Teaming up with her cousin Marley (“He is quiet where I am loud, he is polite where I am brash), Ramya harnesses her magic in all its forms, and throws herself into a perilous battle to save the city.
Providing positive inspiration for neurodivergent readers (“I’m dyspraxic and fantastic”. “I am resilience. I have a brain and a pair of hands and two eyes that do things differently to the rest of the herd”), Like a Charm also offers an allegory for our times, with the toxic Sirens of the story linked to the kind of politicians who turn “neighbour against neighbour”, resulting in “people getting meaner”. Unforgettable Ramya will have a huge range of young readers under her spell, and stirred to empowering self-belief.
Elle McNicoll says: "This book is a love letter to readers of A Kind of Spark who wanted to see neurodivergent girls with real magical powers. I loved magical books as a child, and still do now, so to have a neurodivergent heroine in a fantastical world, it meant a lot to me to write. I'm thrilled readers are going to meet Ramya."
Edinburgh is a city filled with magical creatures. No one can see them... until Ramya Knox. As she is pulled into her family's world of secrets and spells, Ramya sets out to discover the truth behind the Hidden Folk with only three words of warning from her grandfather: Beware the Sirens. Plunged into an adventure that will change everything, Ramya is about to learn that there is more to her powers than she ever imagined.
Praise for A Kind of Spark:
Definitive and funny Susin Nielsen
A fabulous, brilliant debut Lisa Thompson
| ISBN: | 9781913311278 |
| Publication date: | 3rd February 2022 |
| Author: | Elle McNicoll |
| Publisher: | Knights Of Media |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Year Groups: | Key Stage 2 |
| Topics: | Adventure Stories, Disability / Special Needs, Fantasy / Magical |
Elle McNicoll is a debut children's author from Scotland, now living in East London. As a neurodivergent writer, she is passionate about disability rights and representation and assists as a mentor for neurodivergent students at UCL. When she isn't writing fiction, she works as an editor and in her spare time, makes colourful chokers for friends to wear. A Kind of Spark is her first novel.
More About Elle McNicoll
