The Magic Paintbrush

Gr 4-6–Zhang blends fantasy and adventure in this series debut celebrating art, imagination, and a time-honored Chinese folktale. It’s spring break, and seventh grader Amy Li is sent to Lao Lao’s “art-infested” apartment in Flushing, Queens, while her parents vacation without her. There, Amy finds—and breaks—a jade paintbrush, and watches the pieces come back together, like magic. Amy learns that everything the brush paints springs to life, including Luna, her imaginary friend with a tiger’s body and bird’s head. What she thought would be a boring stay with her grandmother becomes a fast-paced rescue mission to Guilin, China, where a greedy young man whose family lays claim to the magic paintbrush, will do anything to get it back. With Luna and best friend Diego by her side, Amy learns to use her imagination, creativity, and persistence to tackle the challenges she faces. Along the way, she comes to believe in the power of teamwork, friendship, and most importantly, herself. The book’s short chapters and many illustrations, printed in gray scale, help set the pace of the story. Amy’s character reads young for a seventh grader and will likely appeal to readers in lower grades.