Isadora Moon is a beloved character from a popular children's book series written by Harriet Muncaster. She is a half-fairy, half-vampire girl who has enchanted readers with her magical adventures. However, in one of the books titled "Isadora Moon Contracts the Magical Measles," Isadora faces a new challenge. The main idea of this book is Isadora getting sick with a magical illness called the "Magical Measles." This illness affects magical creatures like fairies and vampires, causing them to lose their powers temporarily. Isadora's unique heritage makes her susceptible to this illness, and she must learn how to cope with it.
Isadora's unique heritage makes her susceptible to this illness, and she must learn how to cope with it. The book explores how Isadora copes with losing her powers, which are an integral part of her identity. Without her magical abilities, Isadora feels different from her peers and struggles with her self-confidence.
KS1 Book Club: Isadora Moon Meets the Tooth Fairy by Harriet Muncaster (Oxford University Press)
It’s the first book club after the half term holiday and I couldn't wait to retrospectively celebrate Isadora Moon Day, which took place around the world on 18th February. We have been reading Harriet Muncaster’s best-selling Isadora Moon series in our household for many years now, and although my daughter is now 11, she will still read any new books I get as she’s a life long fan!!
In preparation for the book club this week I decided to take my entire shelf of Isadora Moon books with me, as I had no idea which ones the children had/hadn’t read as yet. I also had some super activity packs left over from a previous Isadora Moon Day, and also printed off some of the lovely FREE colouring-in sheets available from Muncaster’s own website. It felt like it was going to be a super sparkly fun book club!!
About the book
Once the children settled down and they had finished sharing their reading books with the group, and a few half term stories of course, I rummaged around in my huge pink bag for the book stack! Their eyes sparkled and there were audible gasps of excitement… the Isadora Moon books are always black, pink and white, often with glittery covers and so therefore it was obvious what we were going to be reading today. So cute!! The children were super fair at organising who had read what and there was a majority vote for ‘Isadora Moon Meets the Tooth Fairy’. I had anticipated this, because so many of them are losing their baby teeth at the moment, so I was rather pleased - and none of them had read it before. Win!
We don’t usually read a chapter book in book club, so I knew due to time restrictions we’d only probably make it through the first chapter. However, it was a joyful journey, I must say, because after almost every paragraph we had a talking point… Isadora had cereal for breakfast, what did you have? or Do you agree with Isadora’s fairy Mummy as to why the fairies need to collect teeth? or Would you frame your first tooth that falls out like Isadora’s vampire Daddy or would you rather it went to the Tooth Fairy? . and it went on… until we ended up having a longer chat about what it’s like to go to the dentist. One child had NEVER been to the dentist (EEK!) and one was is going this weekend (PHEW!). All the children were chatty and engaged in the discussions, it was a very buzzy book club!!
Like this story, Harriet Muncaster, who is so very talented a creator both writing and illustrating this series, cleverly dedicates each Isadora Moon adventure to key childhood events: a first stage performance, going camping, the first day at school, a birthday and so on. The stories are highly illustrated, magical and perfect for young readers starting out with chapter books. Each book includes fun facts, quizzes and activities too.
Isadora Moon is a global success, from the UK to the rest of the world, with an obsessed fanbase who delight in dressing up as Isadora Moon or the magical Pink Rabbit. There’s even a cartoon series coming soon!! It’s all very exciting!! Harriet Muncaster has also created a couple of spin-off series: Mirabelle (Isadora Moon’s cousin) and Emerald. For readers who spent their early reading years with Isadora, but would love to continue reading Harriet Muncaster books, there is also the middle grade series, Victoria Stitch (also a top favourite of mine and my daughter’s). What can I say… Harriet Muncaster rocks !!
Here are a few pages from the book (the first two pages of Chapter One, and a subsequent page from later on in the story).
However, throughout the story, she discovers that she is not alone in her struggle and finds ways to adapt and thrive despite her temporary setback. The story emphasizes themes of resilience, friendship, and self-acceptance. Isadora's friends rally around her and support her through this challenging time, showing the importance of a strong support system. Isadora also learns to appreciate her unique qualities beyond her magical powers, understanding that her worth is not solely defined by her abilities. "Isadora Moon Contracts the Magical Measles" provides a valuable lesson for young readers about dealing with setbacks and finding strength in adversity. It encourages children to embrace their differences, build meaningful relationships, and believe in themselves even when faced with unexpected challenges. Overall, this book is a delightful addition to the Isadora Moon series that teaches important life lessons through an enchanting and relatable narrative..
Reviews for "Isadora Moon Contracts the Enchanted Measles: A Fairy and Vampire's Magical Quest"
1. Alice - 2/5 - I found "Isadora Moon Contracts the Magical Measles" to be quite disappointing. The plot felt rushed and lacked depth, with the magical measles aspect feeling forced and poorly executed. The characters were one-dimensional and difficult to connect with, and the dialogue felt clunky and unnatural. Overall, I was left feeling underwhelmed and would not recommend this book to others.
2. Jack - 1/5 - This book failed to capture my interest from the beginning. The storyline was convoluted and hard to follow, making it difficult to stay engaged. The author also introduced unnecessary subplots that distracted from the main narrative. The overall pacing felt off, and the magical measles premise was simply not believable or interesting. I was ultimately frustrated and unimpressed by "Isadora Moon Contracts the Magical Measles."
3. Sarah - 2/5 - I had high expectations for "Isadora Moon Contracts the Magical Measles," but unfortunately, it fell short. The writing style was inconsistent, alternating between overly simplistic sentences and unnecessarily complex descriptions. The magical elements felt cliché and uninspired, lacking originality. Additionally, I found the main character, Isadora Moon, to be unrealistic and difficult to relate to. Overall, I was disappointed by this book and would not recommend it.