''Just Add Magic'' is a 2010 fictional

juvenile novel Young adult literature (YA) is typically written for readers aged 12 to 18 and includes most of the themes found in adult fiction, such as family dysfunction, substance abuse, alcoholism, and sexuality. It is characterized by simpler world build ...

Cindy Callaghan Cindy Callaghan (born c. 1976) is an American author of children's books who has written several Middle school, middle-grade novels. Her first book, ''Just Add Magic'', was adapted into an Amazon Studios, Amazon television series by Just Add Magi ...

. It tells the story of three young friends who find a mysterious and magical cookbook and create a secret cooking club. It was followed up by the 2018 book ''Potion Problems''.

Amazon Studios Amazon MGM Studios is an American film and television production and distribution company owned by Amazon, and headquartered at the Culver Studios complex in Culver City, California. Launched on November 16, 2010, it took its current name on O ...

adapted the book into a series of the same name.

Plot

Best friends Kelly, Darbie and Hannah find an old cookbook with a photo of Kelly’s grandmother and her two friends in Kelly's attic. In it, they find that the entries have been covered up by

recipe A recipe is a set of instructions that describes how to prepare or make something, especially a dish (food), dish of prepared food. A sub-recipe or subrecipe is a recipe for an ingredient that will be called for in the instructions for the main r ...

s with strange names like "Shut 'Em Up

Shortcake Shortcake generally refers to a dessert with a crumbly scone-like texture. There are multiple variations of shortcake, most of which are served with fruit and cream. One of the most popular is strawberry shortcake, which is typically served wit ...

" and "Hazelnut Healing

Tart A tart is a baked dish consisting of a filling over a pastry base with an open top not covered with pastry. The pastry is usually shortcrust pastry; the filling may be sweet or savoury, though modern tarts are usually fruit-based, sometimes with ...

". This is the excuse Kelly has been looking for to start a cooking club with Darbie and Hannah. They have to keep this cookbook a secret so that the magic doesn't fall into wrong hands. Kelly's little brother eats some of the shortcake and is unable to speak. Hannah eats some of the shortcake and can't talk either. Darbie added the cedronian vanilla while preparing the shortcake which means as a sacrifice, she has to keep talking incessantly until the spell breaks. Kelly and Darbie think there's something magical about these recipes, but Hannah remains skeptical. The three friends find themselves having some bad luck after using the recipes. They befriend an elderly woman named Mama P (Ida Perez), the owner of the cafe “MaMa P's”, a popular cafe where they buy the exotic ingredients needed for the magical recipes. She teaches them about the Law of Returns and they decide to perform (sometimes difficult) good deeds around their town to balance things out. Kelly’s grandmother, Rebecca Quinn (nee Patterson) loses the ability to talk and is diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Mama P tells them that she has been spelled by Miss Gina Silvers, a creepy old woman who lives alone in a spooky house, often sitting on her front porch scaring people. Many believe that Gina is a Witch. Mama P says that she will help them fight Miss Silvers and break the spell on Kelly’s grandma. But she does not tell them she has been under a spell as well and cannot get out of the town. Finally the girls cook their own spell which is called LAST DITCH LAYER CAKE which breaks away all the curses in town. They also find out they broke the curse of Chuck Hankins who had disappeared after eating a magical candied apple given to him by Becky, Kelly's Grandmother. They find out Kelly's grandma cursed herself. They also find out Mama P is evil, not Miss Silvers.

Adaptation

adapted the novel for the 2015

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...

season and later ordered a full season based on the response.

References

{{Reflist 2010 novels 2010 children's books Children's books adapted into television shows Children's books about magic