Dorko the Magnificent by Andrea Beaty (review)

Eleven-year-old Robbie Darko is a stage magician whose tricks always seem to go a little bit wrong. Now, after a disastrous talent-show performance the year before, he's starting fifth grade desperate to redeem himself. It's hard to focus on improving your sleight of hand, though, when your teachers are always thwarting your efforts, your mother's attention is always on her job, and your little brother (affectionately known as Ape Boy) is always climbing on your stuff and chewing on your props. Things only seem to get worse when cranky, bossy Grandma Melvyn (who isn't even his real grandma) moves in, taking over his room and making his life miserable. Like a good magic trick, there's more to Melvyn than meets the eye, and soon Robbie not only has an audience but a mentor, as the old lady turns out to be a former world-class magician complete with her own cabinet of illusions. As Melvyn and Robbie bond over their shared passion, each learns to appreciate, trust, and even forgive the other for their mistakes, until an unexpected medical condition threatens to take Grandma Melvyn away for good. Narrated in Robbie's own inimitable voice speaking directly to the reader (because "magicians always talk to their audiences"), this story captures all the eagerness, confusion, and frustration of being a kid on the cusp between elementary and middle school. Robbie's yearning to be taken seriously and his impatience at being dismissed by distracted, busy adults are utterly relatable, and readers will appreciate his annoyance at having his life turned upside down for an unfriendly relative, even as they recognize that Grandma Melvyn isn't as awful as Robbie originally believes. A thoroughly likable middle-grade novel, offering a blend of poignancy and giggle-worthy humor, this book is a solid back-to-school read.