It’s the dog days of summer! It’s been a while since we’ve seen temperatures this high and I’m ready for fall.

Back to school is getting close and kids will be reading. If they’ve had a break from that over the summer, it is time to get them ready to start again. Your local library is a good place to begin. They have summer reading programs and tons of books on the shelf. And they have air conditioning!

If your favorite child likes magic, I have a good one. Ian’s Magic is about a boy who can perform feats of magic if his math problems are correct. If not, things don’t work out well.

Ian knows a lot of kids don’t like math, but he does and he’s good at it. But he’s not the only one. His brother doesn’t like math and has seen what Ian can do with his magic and he threatens to tell everyone. Brothers!

Ian Conner learned in the first grade he could perform magic using math. And this year, the prize for the annual math contest is $500! Ian really wants to win, but he knows classmate Thomas Martin will be stiff competition. Thomas wins every year. And this year he has a college tutor helping him prep for the contest!

Ian decides to study accelerated math, hoping it will help him win. But when the day of the competition arrives Ian must make a difficult choice – hope his studying helps him win fair and square – or cheat using his “math magic” to win the contest.

Pick up a copy of Ian’s Magic and sit under the air conditioner with a glass of lemonade. It’s fun and a good way to get your kids ready to go back to school. https://tinyurl.com/yxnszumv

Ian’s Magic by Peggy Chambers, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

What are you reading/writing this week?