Susan Hill Long

Margaret has walked with a limp for as long as she can remember, earning scorn and derision from the people in her village. One day, a kind peddler trades her a magic mirror for her sturdy crutch, and Margaret sets out on a quest to find the wild-eyed man she sees in the mirror's surface. As she travels, she meets a great many people and learns of the surprising ways their stories connect.

If you enjoy Karen Cushman's historical fiction, you will almost certainly enjoy this medieval tale. My only criticism of the story is that it wraps up a little too neatly, and every person Margaret meets is somehow wrapped up in her life story one way or another. However, that's a minor detail that did not interfere with my enjoyment of the book. Recommended.… (mere)

A cute, fun, happy novel, The Magic Mirror, is a story about finding love.

Margaret has a very bad foot, so she must use a crutch to get around in Lesser Dorste. No one knows where she came from, but the widow Minka took her in and has raised her for better or for worse. One day a peddler, Bilious, runs off the urchins who bully Maggie and offers her a chance to look in his mirror. It’s a magic mirror that shows you your heart’s desire. Maggie sees a man working. They make a trade--he takes her crutch and she takes the mirror. She decides that she must find this man, so she leaves in the night dragging her foot behind her.

It seems a simple story of a girl searching for her identity, but this is a story of many people (see subtitle of book). Minka realizes that she’ll miss Maggie, so she makes Bilious accompany her in her search. As the journeys for Margaret and then Bilious and Minka evolve, they pull in other people on their journeys who also seek something in their lives until they all come together to straighten out their stories and their identities.

I found this a delightful little story that just brings a smile to your face. It isn’t brilliant or difficult, but it is sweet and entertaining. It’s perfect for 6th and 7th graders.… (mere)