Half Magic
Magic by the Lake

Knight's Castle
The Thyme Garden

Magic or Not
The Well-Wishers

Seven-Day Magic

Edward Eager

One of my favorite children's authors, Eager isn't nearly as well known as his self-acknowledged inspiration, E. Nesbit. His relative obscurity is undeserved however, as his stories are full of good-natured humor and thoughtful real-world situations, with just a sprinkling of magic for spicy flare. In a move atypical of tales for children, parents and other adults usually are quite visible and often serve as the catalyst for events. Generally, the magical adventures help the children of the story deal with some major life change involving their parents, like death, divorce or cross-country moves. Even the magic itself is of an everyday sort, like a battered coin that grants half-wishes, or a toy knight that speaks longingly of the never-were days of Ivanhoe. Aptly enough, the most whimsical adventures occur when the storybook children, like their readers, combine their imaginations to get the most out of everyday magic.