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Maya's Magical Adventures
2017 Purple Dragonfly International award winner in the 'Young adults' category. Like nothing you've read before! A fast moving, laugh-out-loud magical comedy and fantasy adventure that will keep your "heart thumping like a bongo drum strapped to the back of a runaway camel!". Join Maya a young Scottish girl and her know-it-all talking cat Mischief, her living wand Spell and dragon Blink on a series of magical adventures and mishaps as she discovers her magical powers and their hilarious pitfalls. Find out what lies behind the forbidden door. Solve a series of strange riddles and journey across Ayrshire and Arran landmarks in search of clues. How will each of her friends meet with their inevitable sticky end? Can she figure out who the mysterious shadow is and how to defeat it? Is Aunty Dot really that shallow and can Maya really trust her? Or is she destined to be lost in the strange nightmare of the mirror maze? There's only one way to find out, read it! Failure to do so may lead to feelings of disappointment, delusions of sanity and the loss of a potentially right good giggle!
This a previously published edition of ASIN B06X9F4GQ7.
This a previously published edition of ASIN B06X9F4GQ7.
175 pages, ebook
Published February 21, 2017
5 people are currently reading
728 people want to read
About the author
Malcolm McCoard
13 books46 followersThe author has published several books in the very different genres of YA fantasy and Cosmology and theoretical physics.
The serious stuff first - the author has published 2 works on the nature of time and creation. The first book "How to fix the universe" introduced a radical new explanation for what time is and proposed alternatives to dark matter and dark energy. A second publication titled "Everything" builds on the success of the model and proposes a new big bang theory. One which starts from nothing and doesn't break Einstein's laws of general relativity, unlike the current model.
The accidental author - Malcolm started writing in response to his 8 year old daughter's request when he was making up bedtime stories about dragons and other magical adventures one night. "You have to write that one down daddy!" Maya insisted. Maya then provided illustrations and ideas for the book which incorporates a number of characters based on her close friends and family. The book won the YA category in the 2017 Purple dragonfly book awards.
A series of seven more books followed.
The serious stuff first - the author has published 2 works on the nature of time and creation. The first book "How to fix the universe" introduced a radical new explanation for what time is and proposed alternatives to dark matter and dark energy. A second publication titled "Everything" builds on the success of the model and proposes a new big bang theory. One which starts from nothing and doesn't break Einstein's laws of general relativity, unlike the current model.
The accidental author - Malcolm started writing in response to his 8 year old daughter's request when he was making up bedtime stories about dragons and other magical adventures one night. "You have to write that one down daddy!" Maya insisted. Maya then provided illustrations and ideas for the book which incorporates a number of characters based on her close friends and family. The book won the YA category in the 2017 Purple dragonfly book awards.
A series of seven more books followed.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
September 26, 2018
Maya, a young Scottish girl, longs for adventure. She gets her wish when she walks through the forbidden door and enters a whole new world. Not only that, but she discovers she is blessed with magical powers and her grumpy cat, Mischief, talks. As Maya explores where she is, she meets and befriends magical creatures including a dragon. There’s mishaps along the way but the more confident Maya is in herself and her newfound powers, the better everyone is. Can she solve the riddles and unmask the mystery behind the “shadow” or will she fail?
Maya’s Magical Adventures is an award-winning fantasy any reader will enjoy. It reminds me of A Wrinkle in Time meets The Chronicles of Narnia. Maya is a strong heroine with lots to learn along the way. Mischief, the talking cat, is hilarious and brings lightness to the dialogue. Well-written with unexpected twists and turns, this is a must-read for any fantasy reader! Is this a series? I sure hope so.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/si...
Maya’s Magical Adventures is an award-winning fantasy any reader will enjoy. It reminds me of A Wrinkle in Time meets The Chronicles of Narnia. Maya is a strong heroine with lots to learn along the way. Mischief, the talking cat, is hilarious and brings lightness to the dialogue. Well-written with unexpected twists and turns, this is a must-read for any fantasy reader! Is this a series? I sure hope so.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/si...
September 19, 2020
Book Title: Maya's Magical Adventures
Author: Malcolm McCoard
Format: Kindle
Book Title:
The title of the book ' Maya's Magical Adventures ' is very fantasia and attractive.
Book Cover:
The cover image of the book is an animated picture of a young girl flying away with a giant bird amidst a beautifully colourful background into the sky.
Plot:
This is the story of Maya, a young Scottish girl whose mate is a cat. She one day discovers of her innate magical powers. One day she passes through a magic door which is not supposed to use. From there on with her magical powers, a great adventure lies in store.
The story has mazes, puzzles, questions, and mysteries to be solved. Maya reminds the readers of those young girls in fantasy stories who are extremely brave and adventurous.
My review:
These COVID days have given me many opportunities to read children's fantasy books. This happens to be my 11th book since April 2020. There is some magic in reading a children’s book. The main thing is that it lets you escape reality and makes time travel it into the glorious childhood days. This book reminded me of reading Alice in Wonderland almost three decades ago.
Characters:
All the characters in the story are fascinating. Be it Maya or her cat or the dragon. The magical door is also a character in the story.
Narration:
The story has an engaging narration. The humour element with fantasy is well mixed. This book of 256 pages was an interesting read because of the lucid narration.
Language & Grammar:
This is one of the best parts of the story. Perfect language and grammar are found—one of the finest books that I have read in recent times with great vocabulary.
My Final Verdict:
Get transported to a magical fantasy world.
Book Title: 5/5
Book Cover: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Narration: 5/5
Language & Grammar: 5/5
Final Rating: 5/5
Author: Malcolm McCoard
Format: Kindle
Book Title:
The title of the book ' Maya's Magical Adventures ' is very fantasia and attractive.
Book Cover:
The cover image of the book is an animated picture of a young girl flying away with a giant bird amidst a beautifully colourful background into the sky.
Plot:
This is the story of Maya, a young Scottish girl whose mate is a cat. She one day discovers of her innate magical powers. One day she passes through a magic door which is not supposed to use. From there on with her magical powers, a great adventure lies in store.
The story has mazes, puzzles, questions, and mysteries to be solved. Maya reminds the readers of those young girls in fantasy stories who are extremely brave and adventurous.
My review:
These COVID days have given me many opportunities to read children's fantasy books. This happens to be my 11th book since April 2020. There is some magic in reading a children’s book. The main thing is that it lets you escape reality and makes time travel it into the glorious childhood days. This book reminded me of reading Alice in Wonderland almost three decades ago.
Characters:
All the characters in the story are fascinating. Be it Maya or her cat or the dragon. The magical door is also a character in the story.
Narration:
The story has an engaging narration. The humour element with fantasy is well mixed. This book of 256 pages was an interesting read because of the lucid narration.
Language & Grammar:
This is one of the best parts of the story. Perfect language and grammar are found—one of the finest books that I have read in recent times with great vocabulary.
My Final Verdict:
Get transported to a magical fantasy world.
Book Title: 5/5
Book Cover: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Narration: 5/5
Language & Grammar: 5/5
Final Rating: 5/5
May 4, 2021
This is the story of Maya, an inquisitive Scottish girl who wants to know the secret behind the Forbidden Door in her house through which her mother gains easy passage but her father wouldn't dare enter. Armed with nothing but curiosity and the company of her cat, Mischief, Maya enters a magical world that's scary, testing, and dangerous but also exciting. The book is about her journey, her learning, and how she comes into her own in the end.
My thoughts
Although this is young fiction I was quickly absorbed into Maya's story. She's brave and unafraid to enter into unknown territory which may have all kinds of hostile elements. Right from selecting potions to returning from the magical world, she uses her intellect and accepts every challenge head-on. Maya has a dragon of her own, Blink, and also a smart wand called Spell who stick around and help her navigate through every problem. I found that extremely cool.
The book has generous streaks of humour. Maya's conversations with Mischief, her quirky friends and the jelly river are bound to make you laugh. However, it is also a journey about growing up, understanding our parents, getting over prejudices and knowing that it's our choices that make us the person we are. The mysterious shadow gave me goosebumps and is something to look out for.
This is a father-daughter collaboration, with Malcolm's daughter's beautiful illustrations bringing his story to life. This is the first book in a series of six books. Looking forward to reading the rest of them soon!
My thoughts
Although this is young fiction I was quickly absorbed into Maya's story. She's brave and unafraid to enter into unknown territory which may have all kinds of hostile elements. Right from selecting potions to returning from the magical world, she uses her intellect and accepts every challenge head-on. Maya has a dragon of her own, Blink, and also a smart wand called Spell who stick around and help her navigate through every problem. I found that extremely cool.
The book has generous streaks of humour. Maya's conversations with Mischief, her quirky friends and the jelly river are bound to make you laugh. However, it is also a journey about growing up, understanding our parents, getting over prejudices and knowing that it's our choices that make us the person we are. The mysterious shadow gave me goosebumps and is something to look out for.
This is a father-daughter collaboration, with Malcolm's daughter's beautiful illustrations bringing his story to life. This is the first book in a series of six books. Looking forward to reading the rest of them soon!
July 27, 2022
Maya’s Magical Adventures lives up to its name! This is a delightful tale that will entrance both children and adults alike.
Featuring Maya, a young witch in training, and her cat Mischef, this book takes you on a series of scenarios during which Maya learns how to harness her powers and finds out more about herself and her family on the way.
Filled with a plethora of good morals and plain old fashion fun, I would highly recommend this book to anyone with children. As an adult, at times I found myself slightly bored, but I know my younger sister would love this, in fact I might just read it to her when I see her next.
I also enjoyed the illustrations punctuating the chapters. They were a delightful addition to the magical tale and I love how the author took his daughter’s (I believe) pictures and used them to craft a wonderful story.
Featuring Maya, a young witch in training, and her cat Mischef, this book takes you on a series of scenarios during which Maya learns how to harness her powers and finds out more about herself and her family on the way.
Filled with a plethora of good morals and plain old fashion fun, I would highly recommend this book to anyone with children. As an adult, at times I found myself slightly bored, but I know my younger sister would love this, in fact I might just read it to her when I see her next.
I also enjoyed the illustrations punctuating the chapters. They were a delightful addition to the magical tale and I love how the author took his daughter’s (I believe) pictures and used them to craft a wonderful story.
October 7, 2020
Maya's Magical Adventures by Malcolm McCoard ( and of his daughter ) is a delightful coming of age story for young adults. There are witches, magic, dragons and of course a Cat too that too a tongue in cheek one who never talks straight . There are riddles to solve , mazes to cross and dragons to defeat before Maya can grow fully into her powers and on the way rescues her family member. The humour keeps the reader entertained and the illustrations are a pleasant surprise. A fantasy tale that will be enjoyed by all
Thanks @Booktasters for this lovely book
Thanks @Booktasters for this lovely book
November 18, 2020
This story is about a young girl who is just learning that she is a witch, but before she can gain her powers there are many riddles to solve and challenges to face. The cat is by far my favorite character, and just reading about him would make the book entertaining for any young boy, as well as a girl. The illustrations were drawn by the author's daughter, and just knowing that made reading it even more delightful.
September 25, 2020
I started reading this book along with my 8-year-old boy. He likes Magic and believes in it seriously and waits for fairies and angels in the night to fly by. So this is a perfect book for him.
He loved the fact that this entire story has developed by the author along with his daughter. My kid also tells me stories, which I blog/write about. So that camaraderie feeling made him read the book.
The story sets off at a fast pace and gets really real. The characters and their quirky mannerisms. The way Cat "Mishcheif" rolls his eyes to show the disinterest, all this pulled my kid really into the book. He couldn't believe initially that a book can also talk. As the story progressed, he started looking forward to more discussions with the Book. Developing a character for a book and making him opinionated about everything is really a genuine idea and was well received by the kids. The speaking magical door is also another attraction.
We even liked the idea of using toothbrushes instead of brooms. To date, all the magic and witch movies which we have seen have used only the brooms.
Naming the toothbrush as "Blue" since he is a boy was very witty. My kid liked the way Blue behaves in the story.
Also, the riddles that were strewn across the story, where Maya has to solve them before progressing on her journey into the magical land were exciting and funny. We liked to solve them on our own.
Overall, this book is a fun read for both kids and adults alike. Though this book is slated for 10 years and above, it can be given to kids about 7 years who are slowly graduating to chapter books. As it's filled with easy language and also funny incidents and riddles, the book will entice those kids to read further. They might take a little longer than older kids. But it's fine.
Apart from the story, the drawings in the book have attracted my son. In fact, he was mentioning that he should follow the author's daughter example and draw for his next set of stories.
As a parent, I loved this book as it's given a chance to learn about the magical world. The story is perfect with ease in the language and correct grammar is used. Parents can happily give this book to their kids and can relax. As the author has given utmost care to every detail that got into the book. So, I don't have to worry about the language used in the book or about anything.
Note: I got the free copy of this book from Booktasters in return for a free and honest review from my end. The views mentioned here are completely my own and are not influenced by anyone.
He loved the fact that this entire story has developed by the author along with his daughter. My kid also tells me stories, which I blog/write about. So that camaraderie feeling made him read the book.
The story sets off at a fast pace and gets really real. The characters and their quirky mannerisms. The way Cat "Mishcheif" rolls his eyes to show the disinterest, all this pulled my kid really into the book. He couldn't believe initially that a book can also talk. As the story progressed, he started looking forward to more discussions with the Book. Developing a character for a book and making him opinionated about everything is really a genuine idea and was well received by the kids. The speaking magical door is also another attraction.
We even liked the idea of using toothbrushes instead of brooms. To date, all the magic and witch movies which we have seen have used only the brooms.
Naming the toothbrush as "Blue" since he is a boy was very witty. My kid liked the way Blue behaves in the story.
Also, the riddles that were strewn across the story, where Maya has to solve them before progressing on her journey into the magical land were exciting and funny. We liked to solve them on our own.
Overall, this book is a fun read for both kids and adults alike. Though this book is slated for 10 years and above, it can be given to kids about 7 years who are slowly graduating to chapter books. As it's filled with easy language and also funny incidents and riddles, the book will entice those kids to read further. They might take a little longer than older kids. But it's fine.
Apart from the story, the drawings in the book have attracted my son. In fact, he was mentioning that he should follow the author's daughter example and draw for his next set of stories.
As a parent, I loved this book as it's given a chance to learn about the magical world. The story is perfect with ease in the language and correct grammar is used. Parents can happily give this book to their kids and can relax. As the author has given utmost care to every detail that got into the book. So, I don't have to worry about the language used in the book or about anything.
Note: I got the free copy of this book from Booktasters in return for a free and honest review from my end. The views mentioned here are completely my own and are not influenced by anyone.
November 17, 2018
I received a free copy of the ebook version of this novel through a giveaway hosted on GoodReads.
Maya’s Magical Adventures is a wonderful example of the fun that can come out of just writing to be entertaining, rather than to try to be the best writer possible. It is not the most sophisticated or mature novel, but it is a fun and funny read, written by a father with an imaginative daughter, who illustrates the book and inspired the story. It follows the adventured of a young girl named Maya (named after the aforementioned daughter) as she discovers that her mother is a witch, and that her secret room upstairs was prepared to help prepare Maya to use her own magic. With the help of a snarky talking cat, Mischief, an opinionated book which records her adventures, and all of Maya’s friends, she performs various tests and challenges to learn to fly her broom (which looks like a toothbrush), find and prepare her magic wand, and hone her skills, both magic and mental, as best she can before she sets off on her final test, which will decide her fate as either a good witch or an evil one, but also forces her to risk her shadow…and her soul.
This book was very silly and fun to read. Like I mentioned before, it was written primarily for the author’s daughter, and if I understand correctly, she also helped to decide a lot of the events that go on in the story. It isn’t a shining example of perfect literature, but it’s something that is easy to understand without talking down to readers, which would make it perfect to help young readers just getting into chapter books see reading as a fun experience, rather than a chore that they are forced to do by parents and teachers. And, it also doesn’t shy away from challenging readers to think ahead and make predictions, as the story is littered with riddles that Maya must solve on her journey, which shows young readers how to think outside the box in order to solve problems, a skill which they may find useful in real life. And while much of the humor and action can be juvenile, it is not done so in a way that trivializes the story, and is still very enjoyable to older readers who want a fun and easy read, and a bit of a trip back to the easy entertainment of childhood. I am24 years old, and I loved it! Maya and her father are a great writing and illustrating team, and I can’t wait to find more of their future projects.
Maya’s Magical Adventures is a wonderful example of the fun that can come out of just writing to be entertaining, rather than to try to be the best writer possible. It is not the most sophisticated or mature novel, but it is a fun and funny read, written by a father with an imaginative daughter, who illustrates the book and inspired the story. It follows the adventured of a young girl named Maya (named after the aforementioned daughter) as she discovers that her mother is a witch, and that her secret room upstairs was prepared to help prepare Maya to use her own magic. With the help of a snarky talking cat, Mischief, an opinionated book which records her adventures, and all of Maya’s friends, she performs various tests and challenges to learn to fly her broom (which looks like a toothbrush), find and prepare her magic wand, and hone her skills, both magic and mental, as best she can before she sets off on her final test, which will decide her fate as either a good witch or an evil one, but also forces her to risk her shadow…and her soul.
This book was very silly and fun to read. Like I mentioned before, it was written primarily for the author’s daughter, and if I understand correctly, she also helped to decide a lot of the events that go on in the story. It isn’t a shining example of perfect literature, but it’s something that is easy to understand without talking down to readers, which would make it perfect to help young readers just getting into chapter books see reading as a fun experience, rather than a chore that they are forced to do by parents and teachers. And, it also doesn’t shy away from challenging readers to think ahead and make predictions, as the story is littered with riddles that Maya must solve on her journey, which shows young readers how to think outside the box in order to solve problems, a skill which they may find useful in real life. And while much of the humor and action can be juvenile, it is not done so in a way that trivializes the story, and is still very enjoyable to older readers who want a fun and easy read, and a bit of a trip back to the easy entertainment of childhood. I am24 years old, and I loved it! Maya and her father are a great writing and illustrating team, and I can’t wait to find more of their future projects.
December 8, 2020
In this story, we meet Maya, a Scottish girl who loves adventure. And what does sounds more like an adventure if not a forbidden door in your very own house? Together with her grumpy cat, Mischief Maya finds out that she has magical abilities – and that the cat can speak! During the book, she has to slive serval riddles alone and sometimes with friends, and yet, is she ready to slove the hardest riddles of them all?
Maya’s Magical Adventures is an award-winning fantasy comedy.
I loved the running gag Maya and her father uses to say about Mischief. I liked the mention of serval Scottish places. Maya is a strong-minded young girl who solves every riddle on her terms. Mischief, on the other hand, was funny, but sometimes I found him snappy but Maya replied with good humor. The book itself is well-written and for me as a non-native speaker a true treasure!
I also loved the hand-drawn pictures within the book.
Ps.
I marked the mentioned places in the books on my travel list after looking them up. I love it when authors mentions real places!
Maya’s Magical Adventures is an award-winning fantasy comedy.
I loved the running gag Maya and her father uses to say about Mischief. I liked the mention of serval Scottish places. Maya is a strong-minded young girl who solves every riddle on her terms. Mischief, on the other hand, was funny, but sometimes I found him snappy but Maya replied with good humor. The book itself is well-written and for me as a non-native speaker a true treasure!
I also loved the hand-drawn pictures within the book.
Ps.
I marked the mentioned places in the books on my travel list after looking them up. I love it when authors mentions real places!
October 14, 2020
Such a charming read. I absolutely loved it and the illustrations made it way more fun to binge towards the end.
Maya's adventure reminded me of Narnia at first and I ended up reading the story to my brother who was thrilled to listen as quietly as possible as long as there was magic.
I found the writing to be very simple and perfect for a children fiction and it made it even more enjoyable. There were times when I got a little bored but that phase didn't last very long and I was back to being all jolly at the end. This reminded me of my childhood when even toothbrushes seemed magical. A very pure and sweet read. Definitely recommended!
Maya's adventure reminded me of Narnia at first and I ended up reading the story to my brother who was thrilled to listen as quietly as possible as long as there was magic.
I found the writing to be very simple and perfect for a children fiction and it made it even more enjoyable. There were times when I got a little bored but that phase didn't last very long and I was back to being all jolly at the end. This reminded me of my childhood when even toothbrushes seemed magical. A very pure and sweet read. Definitely recommended!
July 31, 2018
Maya's Magical Adventures - a new series of magical comedy adventures by Malcolm McCoard following a young Scottish girl who with some dubious help from her forgetful cat discover a magical realm. Unusual word play, humour and plot twists abound. The sequel is an emotional roller coaster - heart warming, funny and a bit of a tear jerker. Purple dragonfly YA winner 2017 so worth checking out. Check them out in the what to read after Harry Potter list.
August 1, 2018
Fast and furious. A great story with lots of twists and turns on the way. An imaginative fantasy world. I bet if cats could talk they would be as arrogant and annoying as Mischief. Good to see a young female lead who sticks up for herself and gives as good as she gets! Loved how it came together at the end.
August 1, 2018
Fast and furious. A great story with lots of twists and turns on the way. An imaginative fantasy world. I bet if cats could talk they would be as arrogant and annoying as Mischief. Good to see a young female lead who sticks up for herself and gives as good as she gets! Loved how it came together at the end.
July 31, 2018
Fast paced and hilarious, really enjoyable. Loved it as much as my daughter did - magic, dragons, talking cats, living wands and flying toothbrushes. Great fun and an ending I didn'y see coming at all. Good cheeky but safe humour throughout.
June 17, 2020
I won this book through the Goodreads Giveaways. I found it to be a very enjoyable story of a young girl who finds magic and mischief through an amazing adventure. The characters were fun and loveable. #GoodreadsGiveaways
July 30, 2018
Fantastic debut novel - originall really imaginative and touching. Original humour, a great plot, strong characters kids and adults alike can rellate to. I'm now onto the sequel!
July 30, 2018
Loved it, really unusual, very funny ....magic cats, dragons and hilarious twists. Can't wait for the next one!
July 30, 2018
Loved it, really unusual, very funny ....magic cats, dragons and hilarious twists. Can't wait for the next one!
July 30, 2018
Fantastic fun, really fast paced, funny and entertaining loved it and cant wait for the sequel. More like this please.
July 30, 2018
Stunning debut novel. As the author says it will keep you 'wide eyed as a bush-baby after a double espresso' Funny, touching a great read for all ages!
July 30, 2018
Good clean fun. Funny and touching, a great story, really fast moving and exciting.
July 30, 2018
Great imagination, intrigue and full of one-liners for all ages. Really enjoyable with revelations a plenty at the end!
July 31, 2018
Fantastic imagination, fast paced fun and clever one liners. Twists and surprises a plenty.
July 31, 2018
Loved it, something new...great use of language kids can relate to. A great shared bedtime reading experience for me with my daughter, funny, a great plot and surprises and cliff-hangers.
August 15, 2018
What fun, rast, exciting and feel good. Great plot twists.
October 8, 2018
Maya, her cat, and her dragon go on a mad-capped romp through wonderful and dangerous adventures. These stories grew out of the author's bedtime stories with his daughter. Simply delightful.
February 18, 2019
Maya and Mischief have far too fun in the hidden world where Maya walks in from the hidden staircase.
Lovely characters and the adventure is beautiful!
Lovely characters and the adventure is beautiful!
November 10, 2019
Fantastic fun. fast moving imaginative and quirky!
December 8, 2020
This book was quite humorous and I really enjoyed readying about the adventures. Each character had their own spin and it made it more entertaining to read.
October 1, 2018
I received a Kindle copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. It was an interesting read. A childhood fantasy tale of a young lady discovering she is a witch, and going on adventures as part of her training. It didn't "wow" me. But it was entertaining in a simplistic way.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews