Jennifer Murdley's Toad
core novel 1992 Magic Shop
Record
| First published | 1992 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.90 (2,611 ratings, collected 2026-11-01) |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780152007454 |
| Internal chronology | 3 |
Synopsis
Jennifer Murdley is a fifth grader who thinks she is plain and wishes more than anything that she were beautiful. At Mr. Elives' magic shop she buys a toad named Bufo, an unattractive creature that turns out to be able to talk. Bufo is sharp-tongued and wisecracking, and he has a long and unusual history that is tied to a growing danger. A jewel set in his forehead plays a part in it. As Jennifer and her new companion are drawn into a series of adventures, she begins to question what real beauty is and what she is willing to risk to help a friend.
Where it sits
- Universe: Magic Shop
- Series: Magic Shop core; position 3 of 5 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Bruce Coville
Notes
- The talking rats Jerome and Roxanne first appear at the end of this book.
- From the series record (Magic Shop): Five stand-alone adventures in which different children buy a magical object or creature from Mr. Elives' mysterious shop.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings, but they resolve to the exact same sequence for this book, so one combined line is shown instead of two identical ones.
- Reading order, within the series Magic Shop: position 3 of 5: previous Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher (1991) · next The Skull of Truth (1997)
Sources
- Wikipedia: Magic Shop (series)
- Bookstores.com listing (Harcourt, hardcover, April 1992)
- Kids Book Series: Jennifer Murdley's Toad
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