This story centres on the main character, Alex, and how he escapes from his tortured life by entering the world of magic, only to find out that it’s actually real! The story starts at a frantic pace, as Alex is chased through his home town by his former best friend! Luckily, this terrible event forces him into meeting Mr Olmos and the ifrit. Alex is then intent on discovering more about these creatures, whilst trying to win a magic and improving his relationship with his dad and his best friend. This book could be a wonderful teaching source for years 4-6. It could be used for PSHE lessons centering on: friendship, anxiety, dealing with pressure and coping with parents who have separated. There are some great magicians from the past referenced, such as those from the Victorian period. Looking at theatre design and magician stage acts would be interesting. Alex’s mum is a painter– this could lead to a session on trying to recreate her paintings. The ifrit’s habitat could be discussed. You could look at where the ifrit might come from and this would link into discussing genies in other stories, such as the one from 1001 Arabian Nights.
A full review is available in the UKLA’s 4-11 magazine, along with many other reviews of books for children, along with many interesting and thought-provoking articles – https://ukla.org
Kinkajousreadtoo 
Leave a comment