Root Magic by Eden Royce
Published: 2022
Audience: Middle School
Triggers: Racism, Bullying, Death of Family Member
Summary: It’s 1963, and things are changing for Jezebel Turner. Her beloved grandmother has just passed away. The local police deputy won’t stop harassing her family. With school integration arriving in South Carolina, Jez and her twin brother, Jay, are about to begin the school year with a bunch of new kids. But the biggest change comes when Jez and Jay turn eleven— and their uncle, Doc, tells them he’s going to train them in rootwork.
Jez and Jay have always been fascinated by the African American folk magic that has been the legacy of their family for generations—especially the curious potions and powders Doc and Gran would make for the people on their island. But Jez soon finds out that her family’s true power goes far beyond small charms and elixirs…and not a moment too soon. Because when evil both natural and supernatural comes to show itself in town, it’s going to take every bit of the magic she has inside her to see her through.
Review: I love when I have the opportunity to read a book that takes me completely out of the culture and lifestyle with which I grew up and am familiar with. Even though the context of Root Magic is outside of my personal word, the characters deal with situations and emotions that are familiar and relatable. All of these elements will draw you in as soon as you start reading the story of Jezabel Turner, a young black girl growing up in South Carolina in the 1960’s. Not only does Eden Royce tell a story about Jezabel and her brother learning the magic of rootwork, but she creates a magical world through her storytelling.
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