A fun and engaging, magical adventure! This book had a lot to love and was really enjoyable, although some of the characters and scenes occasionally grated on me. Despite that, it was still a great book, and I would definitely be interested in continuing the series!

This is such a great book. I love Kyana she is such a great protagonist and she's so creative and caring. Her relationship with her family especially her grandmother is so special and such a pivotal element of this story, Her friends are great and also so well written, The setting is well done and it's so cool seeing the signs of magic in the community. The plot is well paced and overall this is such a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books for this DRC.
When Kyana Turner learns she’s a witch and is going to attend magic school in the back of the local beauty shop, it not is exciting and amazing, it causes her to have to keep secrets from her best friend. As she learns what she is really good at, she also learns how to make new friends, forgive, and keep old friends. She’s also a baker and uses that talent to try and save her magic school.
Sweet characters and sweet treats make this a delicious and fun book to read.



#ATasteofMagic #NetGalley

This was such a quick read, I couldn't put it down!! The magic system was really cool, intricate enough to be interesting without taking too much thought to get into. The characters, social commentary, and plot were all wonderful.

The only thing I didn't enjoy was the main friendship - it was so frustrating to see Kyana make the same mistakes over and over again, ditching her best friend and completely forgetting about her. I get it, and maybe this wouldn't have annoyed me as much if I was 12, but I kept rolling my eyes!

What's not to love about a magic school and a magical world? Fun, endearing middle grade read, would recommend alongside Amari and the Nightbrothers and the Pages & Co. series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the digital advanced copy of this book.

A fun read about a magic school hidden in the middle of a big city. Characters were relatable. Easy and enjoyable read.

So cute. Was able to read it with my 8 year old daughter. She enjoyed it. I cannot wait to try out the receipt. I really enjoyed the relationship that they had with their grandma. That added such an amazing touch to the story

Who doesn't love when a family mystery ends up being MAGICAL in origin? Kids will love this super fun adventure.

I'm always up for a good magic school book, and A TASTE OF MAGIC fits that bill! I loved meeting Kyana and the brand new world she discovers woven in with the one she already knows. The baking aspect was super fun, too, and ended up being the icing on the cake (pun intended!).

DNFed after 2 chapters. The writing style was not my cup of tea, but I'm sure someone else will love this!

Another good book with POC. I enjoy the sense of community and bringing folks together that is found in many of the POC books that I have been reading lately. The magic element is always a plus so this book combines them well.

From my blog post: If you read Wings Of Ebony, you will feel right at home in The Taste Of Magic because the setting is close but distinctly it’s own anddd we get Kyana. Kyana is not only this funny, intelligent and community-minded kid who loves to bake (I craved baked goods a lot while reading) but she also learns that there is so much more to her than she could’ve ever imagined beginning with the fact that magic is actually real. She goes on this amazing journey of self-discovery, gaining new friends (outside of her BFF, Nae, and her Memaw) along the way and solving the problems that she finds in her path which would make anyone want to root for her. Kyana’s voice is one that is definitely worth listening to and I, personally, can’t wait to hear more of it!

I enjoyed the mix of cooking and magic in a middle grade fantasy, and I thought a lot of things about the novel were exemplary, it had a lot of good ideas. I'm afraid I found the plot really confusing and hard to follow though.

This book is simply adorable and perfect for any middle grade readers who want a book about magic school. When Kyana finds out that she's a witch, she also finds out that she has to go to magic school every Saturday. And of course she loves it! But when she finds out that the magic school might have to close, she has to engage the community and get support to save her school!

There are a few elements from this story that get me every time. The family element - especially her relationship with her grandmother, who has Alzheimer's. Kyana also is passionate about baking, and that passion ends up helping her with her magic. And the community working together for a cause? That definitely got my heartstrings going!

Five stars! I highly recommend this middle grade and I can't wait for the next one in the series!

A Taste of Magic is a really unique take on a magic school and magic system! Park Row Magick Academy is not the super fancy magic school you’re use to. It’s located in the back of a Black woman owned beauty salon. The school is extremely underfunded and lacking the resources it needs for it’s students to thrive. It has only lasted this long because of its dedicated teacher Ms. Mo. PRMA mirrors many of the schools in poor, underfunded areas all over this country.

Middle grade stories have some of the most genuine and pure relationships. Kyana has a multigenerational living arrangement with her mama and Memaw. They are such a tight knit family even though Kyana’s mom works a lot. Aside from Kyana, Memaw was my favorite character! She was constantly dropping this little nuggets of wisdom and nurturing Kyana’s passions which reminded me of my own grandma 🥰 I also adored Kyana’s friendship with Nae and the new bonds she formed with the Magic kids at Park Row Magick Academy like Ash and Russ.

A key takeaway from A Taste of Magic is that a Black child can make a mistake and not be vilified for it. Too often in our society black and brown kids are not given the grace to make mistakes and learn from them. It was refreshing to see Kyana be allowed to make a mistake, realize it and come up with a solution with the support of not only her family but the witch community as well.

The common household substitutions for magical ingredients Kyana found and used from the old spell book Memaw gave her were really ingenious! For example creaming together Kool Aid powder and cocoa butter as a substitute for slug skin paste when making the antidote potion.

The food descriptions throughout the book had my mouth watering. I never wanted a bowl of gumbo or a slice of cake so bad in my life! Being a GA girl, I agree with Memaw that the best food you’ll ever find is down south 😉

So much of this story resonated with me and I know BIPOC kids especially Black kids are going to love it. I can’t wait to see where this new series goes!

Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books for an eARC of A Taste of Magic in exchange for an honest review.

For her twelfth birthday, Kyana finds out she has magic. She is excited but can't tell anyone, which creates problems between her and her best friend Nae. When the Saturday magic school she attends is being forced to close down, Kyana sets off on a solution to keep it open.
Opinion
Being a big fan of paranormal books, this one called to me. I was not disappointed with. This book held my captivation from start to finish. I loved reading the voice of a 12 year old African American girl. It was authentic for an OWN voice book with the narration being what I would expect. Add in that her grandmother was Creole, the language was fun and exciting to read.
The story itself was original and intriguing. When Kyana sets off to save the day, thing go awry. However, the mischief that ensues made the story so much fun to read.
I would recommend this to any middle grades child who likes books about magic, adventure or is looking for an OWN voice book.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Bloomsbury USA Children's Books for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Kyana is your average 12-year-old. She lives at home with her Mama and Meemaw, and she just found out she's a witch. This middle grade fantasy that's cute, funny, and relatable. A Taste of Magic was a very cute story that shines light on experiences from the Black community, all while creating a character that is more relatable to the under represented. I'm an adult so the reading portion was a little slow for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed the audio version!

Thank you to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved J. Elle's Wings of Ebony duology, so when I heard she was jumping into middle grade- I had to read it. I was not disappointed! This was sweet and fun, with a great world and fun magic system. I loved her ability to delicately balance real-world issues and the fun of having magic. This is a must read for anyone! I can't wait to see what's next!

Elle pours so much heart and soul into this book that it’s impossible to not find something to love about it. Broadly speaking, one of its strongest aspects is how alive everything feels — in a literal and figurative sense. Elle’s worldbuilding is rich and vibrant, from the way she describes Park Row, to the scents that come from a hearty home-cooked meal, and the magic itself within the story. She includes familiar aspects and adds her own inventive spin on them. (For example, curl pattern activated wands. How cool is that?!) Every detail is important and lends itself to the story in some way. Elle is deliberate in what she includes, not wasting a single opportunity to revisit each crumb she lays out.

One thing that’s also stuck with me since reading is the emphasis Elle places on home cooking and food in general. For starters, every meal she includes is bound to have readers’ mouths watering solely from the way she describes everything. Throughout, it’s also clear how food plays an important role in Kyana’s life. It connects her with her mother and grandmother, her ancestors, and her magic. Moreover, it connects Kyana to her community. It illustrates how tight-knit Kyana is with those around her, especially those she regularly encounters. As I was reading this book, I only ever equated food to love. It brought back fond memories, and I hope that other readers gain that experience while reading.

Kyana shines as a protagonist. She’s a big-hearted, clever, and endearingly funny young girl. (I’m personally a fan of her distaste towards Math.) She also comes from a family who struggles financially, with her mother working multiple jobs to keep them afloat. As such, Kyana helps however she can, and in Kyana’s home life, Elle continues to keep every element of this story connected. For Kyana, magic is an opportunity she once could only dream about, even if it’s just to help more with household chores. Elle takes care to highlight how the Turners’ financial standing affects Kyana’s life. In many ways, it bars her from activities her peers don’t think twice about. But despite this, Elle preserves Kyana’s childhood. She ensures readers don’t forget the circumstances that have shaped Kyana, but Elle allows Kyana her wonder, her middle school drama, and her childish moments. She grows from her mistakes and embraces her strengths.

Similarly, Kyana’s friendships also provide young readers a safe space to lose themselves in. Like anyone, Kyana faces her ups and downs, which is most notable with her best friend Naomi (aka Nae). As Kyana must keep her magic a secret, she and Nae face some tension. Regardless, they continue to hold affection for one another. Through every frustration, Elle protects their friendship while providing them the space to feel everything. Ashley (aka Ash) is another wonderful character and complement to Kyana. Readers will enjoy watching Ash grow and flourish as a character just as much as they do Kyana.

Elle has already demonstrated her prowess with her YA novels, and she continues to do so with A Taste of Magic. She creates an enchanting contemporary fantasy that’s accessible to any reader who picks it up. While magic, of course, is interwoven into the fabric of the story, Elle deftly grounds her world in reality. With or without its fantasy elements, the book offers young readers like Kyana and her friends a loving reflection of themselves. (I cannot emphasize enough the LOVE and comfort that just pours out of this book.) They will walk away with a sense of empowerment, a host of wonderful life lessons, and the knowledge that they are seen and understood.