M Is for Magic (2007) Parents Guide: Is the book OK for kids?

In 'How to Talk to Girls at Parties,' two teenage boys attend a party to meet girls; one boy, Vic, experiences an awkward, confusing physical encounter that hints at being 'felt up' by an alien entity in an upstairs room. In 'Troll Bridge,' the narrative follows Jack through different stages of his life, making mentions of his past sexual encounters and evolving relationships as he ages. A girl in the same story is described as having 'breasts like small, hard apples' during a childhood scene. The story 'Sunbird'…

Violence varies by story; 'The Price' features a heroic farm cat who returns nightly with gruesome injuries, including torn ears and deep gashes, from fighting a devil-figure protecting its owners. 'Troll Bridge' involves a troll threatening to eat someone's life, and Jack eventually witnesses the troll consuming a girl's essence. 'The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds' is a noir parody of a nursery rhyme murder featuring a hard-boiled detective investigating Humpty Dumpty's fall. 'The Witch's Headstone'…

Language is relatively mild for the genre but includes occasional uses of 'damn,' 'hell,' and 'bitch.' In 'The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds,' the hard-boiled tone leads to slightly sharper dialogue, though it remains within the realm of MG-appropriate noir satire. The word 'pissed' is used in the British sense of being drunk in some editions or stories, specifically regarding the teenage boys' expectations for the party. Overall frequency is low, with long stretches of text containing no profanity at…

In 'How to Talk to Girls at Parties,' the teenagers Vic and Enn are looking for alcohol at a party and there is specific mention of drinking punch and the desire to get 'pissed.' Some stories feature adults drinking wine or sherry in domestic settings, such as Mrs. Whitaker in 'Chivalry' who lives a quiet, traditional life. In 'Sunbird,' the members of the Epicurean club indulge in exotic and rare foods and drinks as part of their ritualistic meetings. There is a general mention of a character being a 'lush' in…

Major themes include the loss of childhood innocence, the nature of sacrifice, mortality, and the blurring of the line between the mundane and the supernatural. In 'Troll Bridge,' the theme of cowardice and the cost of trading one's soul for a comfortable life provides a cynical look at aging. 'Don't Ask Jack' explores the lingering fear of childhood toys and the passage of time. 'The Price' centers on the theme of hidden protection and the physical toll that love and duty can take on a creature. Some stories…