Lia and Beckett’s ­Abracadabra

Gr 7 Up–A feminist rom-com that pulls back the curtain on the world of magicians. Lia Sawyer is a cheerleader who flies through relationships and wants to perform magic tricks; despite her prodigious mathematical abilities, few people take her seriously. When her eccentric grandmother organizes a summer magic competition, Lia jumps at the chance to participate. Perhaps this will help her convince her parents that magic is as serious for her as math. Things get complicated, however, when the cute guy Lia meets right before the competition turns out to be one of the infamous Blackwell boys, her family’s sworn rivals. Plus, her grandmother, who seems to have disappeared, has sent Lia a few clues that don’t make much sense. As Lia delves deeper into the competition and learns about the history of magic in her town, she’s more determined than ever to prove that women can be magicians, and to have a successful romantic relationship with Beckett Blackwell. Lia is an intelligent main character with a strong voice. Feminism is a theme throughout, in everything from Lia’s agency over her own choices to the exposure of the historical and present-day sexism in the field of magic. The romance between Lia and Beckett is full of excellent banter and slow-burn chemistry. Most characters are presumed white; Beckett is biracial, with an Indian mother.