The Magic Carousel (The Brass Ring Series Book 1) by K.L. Small – Review by Ayla Phipps

The Magic Carousel by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Adventure. While this isn’t the first book, I have read by the talented K.L. Small this one was very different. Its life, a ten-year-old boy named Russell is in fifth grade, he’s bullied by his old best friend Tyler and thinks he is nothing but a failure in everything he does.
Russ dreams of being a firefighter like his Uncle Ethan, but his fears of everything get in the way. In the past year everything has fallen around Russ, his grandma passed away leading to his grandpa moving in with his family. He lost his room to his grandpa, now his room is the unfinished damp basement that smells like dirty socks. All his grades have dropped this year, his father only ever thinks he has done something wrong and tells him he fails. Grandpa always tells amazing stories not fantasy stories but true stories of horses throughout history, he talks about them like they are people and not just an animal that people ride. Every day after school he must take grandpa to the park to ride the carousel, something he tries to hide from while there because of Tyler and Matt. In a moment of panic after a run in with the bullies he tells his grandpa today is the last time. Grandpa’s only request it to have one more ride. Roscoe, river, bear. Grandpa tells him they were there in 1827 and that it was magic, but then he has a stroke giving Russell his brass ring as he is taken away in the ambulance. Little Bit, mine, explosion.
How is it possible? Did grandpa ever take mom for an adventure when she was little? No explanations on how just told magic, then the magic seems to be tugging him back to the carousel everyday making him yearn for another adventure. The world is ours; reality is both the good and the bad. The author’s ability to mix in some magic while not losing the overall story of life is interesting and easy for the age group to understand and hold on to the magic in the world. Heroes are everyday people or in this case animals that accomplished amazing feats throughout time. I truly cannot wait for the next instalment of this new series.

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