A Gift of Magic    by Lois Duncan Order:  USA  Can Laurel Leaf, 1999 (1999) Hardcover, Paperback     Reviewed by J. A. Kaszuba Locke Before she died, Grandmother prophesied a gift for each of her grandchildren - for Kirby the gift of dance, for Brendon the gift of music, and for Nancy the gift of magic. Her daughter, Elizabeth Garrett, moves her children into the California beach house where she grew up. She tells them of the divorce-in-process from their dad, foreign correspont Richard Brendon Garret. Elizabeth learns that her high school sweetheart, Tom Duncan, lives just down the beach from her home. Brendon is enrolled in Palmelo Grammar School, where he is befriended by classmate Greg Russo, a born troublemaker. Nancy and Kirby enter the Junior High, and Elizabeth finds joyful employment at the local library. Nancy is determined to reunite her parents and keep Tom Duncan away from her mother. Circumstances lead her to read about ESP. She finds that she has all types - telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and retrocognition - and decides to develop her gift, sure that 'Whatever this power was that had been given her, it had been given out of love.' Kirby meets local ballet mistress Madame Vilar, once a diva, who followed her heart. Recognizing the fire and determination in Kirby, Madame recommends her enrolment in the Atlanta Ballet South. Brendon takes to the piano without reading music. Greg and Brendon build a boat out of wooden doors and components that the Russo boy stole - planning to navigate out to the sandbar to dig for treasure. Just as some stories don't always end as readers desire or expect them to, such is the same with life - it doesn't always turn out the way one hopes. The Garrett family have their share of talents, joys, and trials, but they have something more important - each other. Lois Duncan's A Gift of Magic is a sensitive, lightly-written tale of family, and learning that life sometimes delivers hard knocks. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews