Make Me Disappear

It is said in the magic profession that when a true magician leaves this realm, another one is sent to take his place. Harry Houdini died on October 31, Halloween. Sam Sullivan, now 10, was born on this day-and his passion always has been magic. Maybe he is the one. ** Make Me Disappear is a present day adventure set in the real world and Wundriana, the land of magic where things go when they disappear. It is also a Christmas story with a wonderful cast of characters. ** At 10, Sam's fate seems set. His widowed father will marry the dishonest, materialistic, manipulative Cynthia, who wants Sam out of the way in a boarding school. Sam loves doing magic tricks and is well-read about the profession. When Choko the Clown performs magic tricks at his 10th birthday party, and Sam later discovers him to be The Great Blackwell LaVeque, Sam's fortune changes. Because Sam's birthday is Houdini's day of leaving this realm, Blackwell accepts Sam as his apprentice and welcomes him into his home and heart. Cynthia has been making Sam's life miserable; therefore, when Blackwell sends him to Wundriana as part of his apprenticeship, Sam determines to return one day and remain there. In Wundriana he meets, the stranded, beautiful Kristina and the evil Sinjin who the young Blackwell banished years before for murdering his own love and assistant, Lily. Both desperately want to get back to the real world. Only Sam has the means in Blackwell's book, but he must discover and use the magical way. Sams intelligence prevails as he sends Kristina back and outwits Sinjin. ** Back in the real world, Sam's disappearance shakes his father and straightens out his values. He sees Cynthia for what she is. Kristina arrives with news of Sam. Together they go to see Blackwell, now in the hospital,too weak with trying to retrieve Sam. Sam alone must now affect his own return. Sam again outsmarts Sinjin, performs the necessary magic, and returns. ** In a wonderful scene reaffirming concern for his son's feelings, one evoking their Christmas tree ritual of years past, Sam's father trashes Cynthia's plastic, decorator tree, stomps across the "sacred" lawn, axes a prized ornamental tree, lugs it across the living room and anchors it in an antique oriental vase. The rare Persian rug becomes the tree's skirt. As they both scan the room for something to use for a star, a perfect five pointed one suddenly appears on top of the tree with "a light so clear and pure that it seemed to let them know that everything was going to be fine."

Novel Type: Fantasy/Family relationships/values clarification adventure Primary Audience: Boys Interest Level: 8-11 yrs; Grade 3-5 Author Style: Straightforward Narrative Mood: Serious