The Marvellous Granny Jinks and Me

Serena Holly's The Marvellous Granny Jinks and Me is a warm, funny story for 6 year olds about a girl who's sure her granny could be a magician.

What happens

Jada is eight and spends every afternoon after school at Granny Jinks's house. Granny paints her chairs in rainbow colours and helps with homework by building pyramids out of sugar cubes. Jada's dad, on the other hand, mows the lawn for exactly twenty-three minutes every Saturday.

One day Jada finds Grandpa Jinks's old box of magic tricks in Granny's costume cupboard. There's a spotty silk hanky, some extra-slippery cards and a fake thumb (which gives her quite a fright!).

Granny can still do the tricks. So Jada hatches the Get Granny to Become a Magician Plan. There's just one problem. Dad doesn't like magic AT ALL. And he's just signed Jada up for extra maths and Granny up for crochet.

The best bit is the two of them together. Granny has a special wink just for Jada and calls her Jada Gem. And when Granny suddenly loses her nerve, it's Jada, who hates speaking up in class, who marches onto a stage to announce her. Isn't that just how it works sometimes?

There's a new friend too. Tilda is new at school and brilliant at card tricks, and a bit less confident than she looks. Jada spots it straight away.

It's a gentle, giggly read-aloud. Luna the cat barks like a dog, and Granny calls Dad "facety" when he suggests she slow down.

There's some sadness in the background, told very softly. Grandpa died in an accident on his tour bus when Jada's dad was little, which is why Dad's so wary of magic. Jada's mum is a singer who's away a lot and writes to her. It's all backstory, but if either of those is close to home you might like to be the one reading it.

What to read next

For another family where a grown-up's magic doesn't always go to plan, try Fairy Mom and Me. Ella's mum can turn into a fairy, but her spells don't always come out the way she means them to.