THE MAGIC CAROUSEL

A boy struggling with school and family issues discovers a magic ring that can transport him back in time in Small’s middle-grade fantasy series-starter.

Fifth-grader Russell Michael Boyd lives with his mom, his frequently drunk father, and his grandfather who recently moved in with them. Russ is tasked with taking Grandpa to the local carousel every day, but he doesn’t understand the ride’s appeal to the old man—until one day when Grandpa takes his hand while riding a wooden horse. The pair are instantly transported to the Rocky Mountains in the year 1827, where his grandfather has often had adventures as “Mountain Man Mike”; also, both he and Russ can telepathically communicate with the carousel’s horses, which have become real horses. However, Grandpa suffers a stroke after disembarking the ride back in modern times; before he’s taken to the hospital, he hands Russ the magic brass ring that makes the time travel possible. Russ secretly embarks on magical journeys by himself, traveling in different time periods, depending on which carousel horse he rides. His adventures include one as a squire during a jousting tournament and another as a firefighter in the early 20th century, and each brings new opportunities for the boy to realize his own bravery and explore his talents and capacity for kindness. He also deals with his father’s verbal and physical abuse back home, which is depicted sensitively throughout. Throughout the book, Small often clearly and explicitly makes parallels between the past and present, as when Russ confronts a junk seller abusing a horse during one time-travel jaunt: “I’d seen that look on my dad’s face when he was angry. My insides quivered, and my hands tightened into fists. I told myself to be brave.” The novel also tackles several other weighty issues, such as bullying and school-related anxieties, in a consistently age-appropriate way. Dorman’s grayscale, cartoonlike horse illustration appears at the top of each chapter, providing a somewhat whimsical contrast to some of the heavier themes.

An eventful chapter book that will expertly provide young readers with adventure and social guidance.