The Magic Misfits

 Shirley J.                               Juvenile Fiction                              Young magicians, friendship

The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris     336 pages

A story of kids who all enjoy magic but maybe have their own eccentricities which tend to make them social outcasts at school and within their less accomplished peers.   They end up finding each other and thwarting an evil magician, B. B. Bosso, and his fake sideshow cronies from ripping people off who attend his shows,   Even the games at his "carnival" are all rigged so people can't possibly win big prizes..   Enter the Misfits who are highly intelligent and magnificently skilled at their magic and mathematical fortes.  The misfits go in and study how the carnies' games are set up and figure out how to beat them anyway and proceed to do so.   Basso is furious and all the carnies are stunned.   When Basso takes jewelry from the elderly Carter steps in and out pick-pockets the pickpocket returning the stolen items to their owners.   The final show down comes - who will win?   Bad or good?   Basso or the Misfits?   A fun read for kids and part of a 4 book series wouldn't you know?  This one is sufficient for me, but, there are many tips on performing your own magic tricks, codes included for the super sleuths and easter eggs hidden throughout with the promise of many more in the next books.   I would recommend this series to the younger set and for reading aloud.