Hilary McKay writes about dysfunctional families that somehow are nevertheless endearing. The family in Green Magic is less dysfunctional than the Casson family in her more famous series, but still the three children in this story—Abi and her two step-brothers Max and Louis— are keeping secrets from their parents (about magic happening in their new house), and the oldest child, Max, age 14, has a not-so-secret crush on the French babysitter, Esme.

McKay tries and succeeds in straddling the line between actual magic and childhood nightmares or imagination, and I just found it fascinating to watch her do it. I was never quite sure until near the end of the book whether the seemingly magical events in the book would turn out to be all in Abi’s imagination (disappointing!) or whether they were really truly happening (really, truly scary!). Some things do turn out to be childish fears and exaggerations, but the magic in the vine covered house is real. I think.

The book is about more than just a magical house, however, It’s about the ups and downs of actually blending a blended family and of working to support that family. The parents in this family are quite involved in their children’s lives, unlike the Casson parents, and they are loving parents who work hard to help their children become bonded to one another, overcome their fears, and just have fun together. Nevertheless, as is true of real families, some things happen to the children that just can’t (or won’t) be shared with mom and dad. Some problems children choose to muddle through on their own, and Max, Abi, and Louis are certainly growing in their own interior lives and in their relationships with one another as they muddle together.

Some of the scenes in this book are rather scary, and I wouldn’t recommend it for really young or sensitive children, although the nightmarish aspects of the “green magic” are vanquished in the end. For those who like a tiny bit of horror or at least weirdness and a hefty dose of family growth and dynamic, The Time of Green Magic is a delightful story.