Jez and Jay are twins starting school in the South Carolina Lowcountry in 1963. Their grandmother has just died, their dad disappeared quite some time back, but they have a strong family unit with their mother and her brother, Doc. Jez and Jay are starting to learn some of their family traditions, which include root magic, a brand of magic that has connections not only to the Gullah culture but all the way back to Africa. This is an exciting mystery with lots of plot twists and scary characters. I think the kids are going to like this one a lot.

It isn’t every day that you see Gullah culture explored through the eyes of middle schoolers — unless you were a 90s kid who enjoyed the fantastic Black programming that was Nickelodeon’s Gullah Gullah Island, of course. While Eden Royce’s debut middle grade story also follows the travails of a Black family from the island, the similarities end there. Root Magic is a story about eleven year old twins Jezebel and Jay Turner set in 1963 wherein they deal with the recent death of their grandmother, what that means for their rootwork education, and coming of age.

Because the opening scene occurs at the funeral for the twins’ grandmother, we are thrust directly into the feelings Jezebel wrestles with in losing her best friend. Despite having her twin brother, she has always felt isolated, particularly at school where no one will hang out with her. As Jezebel goes through the motions of her grief, she realizes more and more how much her grandmother’s presence meant to her. This specific school year brings Jezebel increased anxiety as she is moving up a grade ahead of her brother, so when she faces bullying by the older, more financially secure girls at their segregated school, she learns there are some obstacles people aren’t meant to face alone.

Her desperation following this realization combined with the rootwork lessons that her uncle, Doc, has begun to teach her and her brother leads her to create her first spell, one to conjure her first true friend. Just when it seems like the spell is working — she’s found a true friend in another solitary girl in her grade, Susie — she learns that there may be more to the girl than meets the eye. On top of her friendship woes, her family is continually harassed by a police deputy who has led raids on rootworker families in their area for years and is rumored to have led to many of their disappearances. While Doc’s teachings help the twins to become better connected to their ancestors and their abilities to protect their family with different root work, these teachings do not seem to rid them of their troubles. Instead, it makes the Turners targets of the police and Black families who look down on their ‘backwardness.’

The exploration of Gullah Geechie root work stands out in this coming of age debut novel all about embracing African heritage along with the young people the twins are growing into. I appreciated the ways the book shows Jezebel becoming more aware of burdens and worries that her mother carries, as seems integral to a lot of the experiences of my peers when we were this age. Showing the ways the family carries on tradition while grieving their powerful matriarch, even when it leads to the questioning of their identities within the larger Black community, is a discussion to be had by people of all ages.

A girl who wants nothing more than a friend finds a connection deeper than she had ever imagined.

Royce shows us a part of America that is often misunderstood in Root Magic. On the eve of twins Jezebel and Jay’s 11th birthday, they remember the life of their grandmother and the stories and the secrets she took with her in death.

Doc, their uncle, will begin teaching the twins the rootwork practices of their Gullah ancestors. Their mother doesn’t stop him but would rather the twins focus on schoolwork.

Jezebel makes a new friend at school, but she is secretive. Jezebel also discovers that her understanding of rootwork is intuitive, and she has more abilities than her brother.

We see Jezebel help spirits and animals no matter what the stories say. She shows us a brave soul, not only in a town that doesn’t accept her family but also in 1960’s America with rampant and violent racism.

This is, at times, a scary book. With haints, boo hags, and white racist and violent acts. It also is full of family love and support.

The writing was good, I only wish the author had broken some of the events into different books, but it did highlight the talent and perseverance of Jezebel in the face of constant adversity.

This book is a good fit for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders who like to be a little scared and also for readers who enjoy folklore and mythology. Fans of The Tristan Strong books by Kwame Mbalia and The Jumbies by Tracy Baptist will want to try this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Harper Collins Walden Pond Press for the ARC.

Root magic tells the story of twins coming into their power. It is set in the southern United States in 1963. The strengths of the story come from the atmosphere, descriptions and character dynamics. I really enjoyed the character development of Jez and Jay. Their interactions with Mama and Doc were my favorite part of the book. I also really loved the descriptions: "Heat pressed in on me like an aunt I didn't want to hug."

This story also delves into feelings of grief, especially those of a parent and grandparent. It also explores what it means to be black in the United States, "History, Thomas, is the story of who we are. And sometimes, Negro history is told by people who don't think we're important. People who don't think we make a difference in the world." Jezebel's teacher in this book is fantastic and encourages the children to see themselves as creator's in their own stories by sharing her favorite Black poets with her class.

Overall, this is a lovely historical novel with a little bit of supernatural added into the conflicts of the time. It is about embracing your culture and protecting your family.

This was such a fantastic and spooky middle grade adventure! I will definitely be recommending this one to all of my scary book loving patrons!

I finally finished (so hard to read consistently with two toddlers). I’m hosting a book blog tour for Root Magic on January 13, soooo I don’t want to give much away about my thoughts and how to utilize in your classroom until this blog post is published, but I do want you to know I 100% recommend as a fantasy unit read aloud. The story incorporates historical fiction elements as well as Gullah folklore.
Can’t wait to share more.

"I sucked in a mouthful of smoky, spicy air and held it in a while I lay on the ground. It was full of all the potions and herbs Doc, Jay, and I had created together. It was full of our family's magic, made by our own hands with love and intent. Protection magic. Root magic."


Root Magic, by Eden Royce, makes you believe in magic. When twins Jay and Jezebel turn 11 years old, they start to learn more about the world outside of their relationship and they also learn root magic. This is a story of family traditions, loyalty, protecting each other and being kind to others. This culturally rich book also explore themes of grief, death, discrimination, bullying, confidence, knowing who you are, family, and coming of age. This is a thought provoking book that had me pondering the engaging plot and compelling characters well after I finished the last page.

Jezebel Turner is regretting her decision to skip a grade and start middle school a year before her twin brother, Jay. While she does have one friend, Susie, the rest of her class makes fun of her and avoids her because her family does rootwork. She really isn't scary, so why should everyone be so afraid of something they don't understand?
When they turn eleven, the twins' uncle begins teaching them how to do their own root magic. Soon, Jezebel notices her late grandmother's doll moving and acting like a person, as well as unusual noises and lights from the marsh. And even Susie may not be as she seems, but is she an ally or an enemy?
There's also the mystery of her dad's disappearance. Most people Jezebel knows is sure that he ran away, but she doesn't think that's what happened. Especially with the white police officer who constantly comes into Jezebel's community to harass Black residents in their own homes.
Didn't meet ALL of my expectations, but still did most of them. I'm more into historical realistic fiction than supernatural fiction, but I like a little of that element, too. The beginning was good, but it didn't really get interesting again after that until the last 25%. It definitely dragged in the middle, but maybe that was because I took so long to read it.

I loved everything about this book. It managed to capture the time period and aspects of the civil rights movement, the history and culture of the Gullah people, as well as make it relatable to middle schoolers by incorporating a wonderful main character in Jezebel, an African American child growing up in Louisiana. I loved the fantasy aspect and feel it will really appeal to a lot of middle school kids - I'll definitely be using it for my classroom. I appreciate it's honesty in portraying the racism of the time period and feel this is a timely read for all students.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital advanced reader copy in exchange for my review.

I read about 45% of this book, but I am stopping there. I loved the Gullah representation; I grew up watching Gullah Gullah island. I thought this would be a fun fantasy book that incorporated some cultural elements. However, the presentation of 'root magic' and conjuring is a bit too "real" for my tastes. I got to the scene where the bat's blood was being collected, and it seems like too much for kids to be exposed to animal sacrifice and blood letting. That crosses a line for me whether I'm being too sensitive or not.
Before that scene, the story was heartwarming about a family who is banding together after their matriarch grandmother's passing. In honor of their grandmother's memory, the two children begin learning "root magic" and conjuring from their uncle. There were great life lessons about grief and family. I just really couldn't get over the stronger occult/witchcraft themes.

I do not want to ruin such a new book's ratings, so I am simply leaving this one unrated.

DNF @ 20%

I really could not get into this story. Set in the 1950s-60s era, we follow twins who begin to learn “root magic”

I felt like the beginning dragged on, I was not interested in the story and did not care about any of the characters. I’m sure this is a great read, just not for me.

*Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

It's 1963, and everything is changing for Jezebel Turner. Her grandmother has just died, she's skipped to sixth grade and is about to be in a new school with all new kids, and she and her twin brother have been drifting apart lately. Not to mention, the local police officer who just won't stop harassing Jez and her family, because they do root magic - which, now that she is old enough, she and her twin brother get to start learning. Finally.

Root magic is an African-American folk tradition, using the earth and natural materials to create a little bit of magic, the making of which had been forgotten by many families in the area. Jez's uncle Doc is the one who makes the majority of potions and powders for their community, and now she gets to help. Of course, being a "witch doctor" makes it even harder to make friends, especially when nothing is exactly what it looks like in Jez's world.

MY NOTES: This was a great fantasy story with lovable, relatable characters. I didn't know much about the history of the area or about the Gullah language but I was drawn right in to learn about it, and root magic, right along with Jez.

A unique & dark adventure/coming of age story set in a 1963 Gullah Geechee community. Following the death of their grandmother, twins Jezebel and Jay are inducted into the family tradition of root work. Particularly adept at the magic, Jezebel quickly becomes embroiled in a number of adventures with haints, boo hags, and the lost spirits of the dead while simultaneously struggling with the dual changes of school integration and being promoted to a grade level above her twin. The theme of racism and police violence, in the form of a particularly vindictive and racist police officer, also reemerges repeatedly throughout the novel. While my knowledge of root work is minimal, it appears that the spell work and "monsters" described within are accurate representations of root work. The author's note describes Royce's personal and familial connection to both the Gullah Geechee and root magic.