Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism
Fiction Series
For ages 8 to 12
HarperCollins, 2003 ISBN: 978-0060514099
Molly Moon's life is miserable. She is persecuted by Miss Adderstone, the woman who runs the orphanage where she lives. To make matters worse the older girls at the orphanage also bully her; and her teacher at school picks on her whenever she can. There really is nothing about Molly's life that is positive expect her friendship with Rocky. The problem is that Molly and Rocky have had a terrible argument and they aren't speaking to each other.
Desperate for some peace and quiet, Molly takes refuge in the town library, and there she finds a book called Hypnotism: An Ancient Art Explained. Written by Doctor H. Logan at the turn of the century, the book explains how to hypnotize people. While she is at the library Molly finds out that a man has traveled all the way from America to get his hand on this book. Intrigued by the subject matter and wanting to know what all the fuss is about, Molly takes the book back to the orphanage and begins to read.
It isn't long before Molly realizes that she has a gift for hypnotism. She first tries out her skills on Miss Adderstone's grumpy little pug dog. In no time Petula is Molly's dearest friend. Molly moves on to people next, and without too much effort on her part she soon has Miss Adderstone eating out of her hand.
Soon after this Molly discovers that she can hypnotize a whole auditorium of people. She even wins a talent contest by using her hypnotic skills on the audience and the judges who are present. It is all too wonderful to be true and the possibilities are endless. Molly can be as rich as she wants. She can make her enemies pay for their crimes. She can build a luxury-filled life for herself. What she does not realize it that the American man who is looking for the hypnotism book is very persistent indeed. He is determined to get what he considers to be rightfully his.
In this funny and utterly delightful book Georgia Byng gives her main character the life so many of us dream of having. Molly becomes rich, famous, popular, and adored. But, as the girl discovers, all of this is worthless if it is not genuine and if you have no one to share it with.
With great skill Georgia Byng not only tells a terrific story but she also has an important message to share with her readers, one which is understated and yet, at the same time, easy to recognize and to appreciate.
