Magic Below Stairs
Young Frederick is plucked from an orphanage to be a footboy for a wizard named Lord Schofield in Victorian England. Is his uncanny ability to tie perfect knots and render boots spotless a sign of his own magical talent, or the work of Billy Bly, the brownie who has been secretly watching over him since he was little? No matter, for the wizard has banished all magical creatures from his holdings. But Billy Bly isn’t going anywhere, and when he discovers a curse upon the manor house, it’s up to Frederick and Billy Bly to keep the lord’s new baby safe and rid the Schofield family of the curse forever.
Reviews
"This cozy tale of household magic, complete with a dash of adventure and a pinch of danger, will have children cheering for Frederick as he finds his way in his new home. Stevermer's readers will enjoy seeing characters from some of her earlier works make an appearance, and fans of Diana Wynne Jones and Patricia C. Wrede will appreciate this delightful Victorian fantasy."
"The book is gracefully and winningly written, moves at a swift pace and allows Frederick to show himself as both an 11-year-old boy and a budding student of magic. [...] Lovely and lively."
“Magic Below Stairs is a fun, light book for grade school readers. The plot is amusing, and the depiction of the curse is gritty and made my skin crawl, but this is overall a light read that will delight young readers and amuse older ones. It also made me want a brownie as a companion."
"The greatest strength of this book is Frederick, who is curious, hard-working, sometimes cranky—much like Lord Schofield, in fact—and courageous. He reads as a very real person, and you'll be happy to see him finding his place in the world."
"Frederick is an endearing eleven-year-old with charming innocence...Magic Below Stairs is an enjoyable read with a fun character to cheer for."
"[P]eople looking for really good stories, really well told, in which character is central but magic is important, will probably enjoy it lots, just as I did"