Like a Charm

Gr 5 Up–A title that will draw readers into a magical world where disability, family, and community take on all new meanings. Ramya Knox, a 12-year-old with dyspraxia, finds herself feeling quite alone. Her mum and dad are always busy with their jobs as news anchors, and she isn’t close to her extended family, several of whom are a little strange. The one person who seemed to care, her grandfather, has passed away, leaving her with the seemingly impossible task of finding and documenting the lives of the Hidden Folk. As it turns out, Ramya has rare magical skills that may put her in jeopardy if she doesn’t learn to rely on the community of misfits that thrive unseen in the city of Edinburgh. This book will keep readers turning pages to find out what happens next. McNicoll blends discussions of neurodivergence seamlessly into the plot, slowly building Ramya’s social circle as she meets vampires, kelpies, fairies, and witches. Ramya sees into hidden worlds in a way that recalls fantasies that have come before, from the “Chronicles of Narnia” to the TV series Grimm.