Can you imagine a Harry Potter-type boarding school set in the Rocky Mountains and using the musical instruments to provide magical power instead of boring old wands? The Mystwick School of Musicraft by Jessica Khoury (Clarion Books, 2020; Audible Studios) does just that. Amelia’s life’s dream has been to attend the same musicraft school as her mother, who passed away when Amelia was very little. She thinks she has lost her chance when her audition goes wrong, but then the professors give her a chance to prove herself in the first semester after a mix-up brings her there anyway.
Mystwick is a unique school, of course, and even though the entire world revolves around the musical magic of their world, the ability to play instruments to create magic is still a unique talent to have in, and Amelia really hopes her talents as a flutist can add up. The music of this world can heal, grow plants, clean rooms, and create elaborate and gorgeous illusions, but just as in other magical stories we know well, magic can be used for more sinister things as well.
There are scary and dark moments in this story, including a ghost that haunts Amelia. But as Amelia gains confidence in her musical skills, with help from her friends, she ultimately finds out her own unique strengths, giving the entire book a delightful tone for children.
For me, the most fun to listening to the audiobook is that musicians perform the music that Amelia Jones plays as she auditions, practices, and composes beautiful melodies. The backing music makes this magical world seem to come alive. While you might know Pachelbel’s cannon as you read the book, listening to it as you experience the story is even more fun!
For your middle-grade kids, The Mystwick School of Musicraft is a nice addition to the canon of “magical worlds” stories. Listen to an excerpt from the audiobook at Audible.