Magic Elizabeth - by Norma Kassirer (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Selected by the American Booksellers Association as a 2026 Best Book for Young Readers, this newly illustrated edition of a beloved middle-grade fantasy classic brings magic, mystery, and a doorway into the past to a new generation.

When eight-year-old Sally is sent to spend the summer in a creaky old house with her elderly Aunt Sarah and a decidedly unfriendly cat, she expects weeks of boredom and loneliness. But everything changes when she discovers a mysterious painting of a little girl holding a doll and learns that the doll, Elizabeth, vanished long ago.

Drawn by curiosity, Sally ventures into the attic, where an old mirror seems to open a doorway into another time. As she searches for the missing doll and the truth behind the painting, Sally discovers a story of friendship, empathy, and love that reaches across generations.

First published in 1966, Magic Elizabeth now returns with brand-new full-color illustrations by Mark Richardson. This beloved children's classic invites today's readers into a timeless world of mystery, warmth, and wonder.

Here's what makes Magic Elizabeth a classic fantasy for a new generation:

- A Beloved Children's Classic Returns: A long-out-of-print favorite is available again for parents, grandparents, teachers, librarians, and new readers.

- A Magical Journey into the Past: A mysterious attic mirror, a lost doll named Elizabeth, and a long-ago friendship create a classic children's fantasy for ages 8-12.

- Brand-New Full-Color Artwork: New illustrations by Mark Richardson bring fresh visual life to Norma Kassirer's timeless story.

- Perfect for Independent Reading or Sharing Aloud: A nostalgic favorite for adults and a moving story of imagination, kindness, and love for young readers.

Magic Elizabeth is a classic middle-grade fantasy novel about a magic mirror, a missing doll named Elizabeth, and a mystery that reaches into the past. This beloved children's classic remains a moving reminder that imagination, kindness, and love can travel across time.

Review Quotes

"This new edition, still perfect for readers ages 8-12, revives this classic story with 18 full-color illustrations that enhance the story's magic and emotional depth, inviting today's readers to discover -- or rediscover -- its timeless charm."-- "The Newtown Bee"

"Read this book and be transported by Norma Kassirer's enduring tale of magic and mystery . . . for Magic Elizabeth is a story full of half-remembered whispers and long-forgotten clues . . ."--Edric Mesmer, Poetry Cataloger, University at Buffalo

"Magic Elizabeth is one of those rare books that stays with a reader long after childhood. Norma Kassirer created a world filled with wonder, mystery, and heart, inviting young readers to discover the extraordinary hidden within the ordinary. This is a homemade kind of magic, one found in loss, recovery, and rediscovery. A magic every reader will readily understand and adore. This beautiful new edition ensures"--Geoffrey Gatza, author of When the Book is Over and The Albatross Around the Neck of Albert Ross

"Delightful blending of the true and fanciful."-- "Parents' Magazine"

"Few children's books possess the timeless charm and quiet enchantment of Magic Elizabeth. Norma Kassirer created a story that continues to captivate readers with its warmth, imagination, and gentle sense of wonder. As a librarian, I have long treasured books that invite children into worlds they never want to leave, and Magic Elizabeth does exactly that. This beautiful new edition will introduce a beloved classic to a new generation of readers while delighting those who remember its magic from years ago."--Donna White, director of Brighton Place Library

About the Author

Norma Kassirer, writer and artist, became best known for her middle-grade children's classic Magic Elizabeth, first published in 1966 and featured in Eden Ross Lipson's New York Times Parent's Guide to the Best Books for Children. Another middle-grade novel, The Doll Snatchers, was published in 1969. In addition, Norma was the author of numerous books and short stories for adults. Norma's daughter Sue Kassirer was thrilled to recently rediscover the original manuscript for The Knitting Witch, a story she had loved as a child. Wanting to share it with today's children, Sue proceeded to edit and gently update the story, drawing on her many years of experience as a children's book editor at Simon & Schuster, The Viking Press, Random House, and Harper Collins.

Mark Richardson is a freelance illustrator working primarily in watercolor and ink. His illustrations mostly focus on picturing fictional subjects within children's literature. He also draws inspiration from the natural world and is engaged in an ongoing series of portraits of the birds that pass through his own property in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, where he maintains a studio and shares a home and garden with his wife, Barbara. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Mark enjoys painting large landscapes that reflect upon his travels. He is also a bookbinder. Many of his artworks find their way into the hand-bound books that he produces in limited quantities from his studio.