By Rachel M. Marsh
New York: Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2024. Fiction. 263 pages.
Newly transplanted from the bayous of Louisiana to Boston, Feliciana is desperate to fit in. At her last school, she was bullied because of her accent, called "mud-bug," and even her teachers couldn't pronounce her last name correctly (it's pronounced Fruge like blue-jay, not like fudge). So at her new school, Feliciana is trying to speak as little as possible and hopefully make friends this year. But fitting in becomes hard when Feliciana's grandma sends her a rougarou, a large canine-like magical creature from Cajun folklore. She tries to balance hiding Roux the rougarou from her mom, completing her art piece for a school competition, and dealing with her step-father's blander than bland food, but ultimately she won't be able to keep secrets from everyone.
Rougarou Magic feels a lot like realistic fiction for a book titled after a creature from folklore, in a good way! I love how the magic and fantastical elements help drive the story, but aren't as important as Feliciana's character development. Kids will see real life problems handled in this book as Feliciana learns how to deal with a realistic bully--one whose jabs are peppered with niceness, and as she learns to bond with her new stepfather. Overall, this book portrays the bitter-sweetness of moving, where you learn that it's okay to miss your old home and still find love for a new place.
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