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From: SIGEL%umass-cs.csnet@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Story Request Answered (Edward Eager)
Message-ID: <234@caip.RUTGERS.EDU>
Date: Sun, 27-Oct-85 03:12:18 EST
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Posted: Sun Oct 27 03:12:18 1985
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Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
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From: Andrew Sigel 


> infinet!cgf@topaz.rutgers.edu (Chris Faylor)

> When I was in the third grade (about 24 years ago) I read a book
> that sort of got me started on science fiction/fantasy.  It involved
> some kids who found an old coin which granted them wishes... sort
> of.  The coin was so old that they had to wish for everything twice
> to get a complete wish, otherwise they only got half of what they
> wished for.

I believe the book you are referring to is HALF MAGIC by Edward Eager.
Eager wrote a number of books very similar in tone about children and
magic, much in the E. Nesbit tradition, but that I like better than
Nesbit.  It may very well be in print -- I noticed about a month back
that a new paperback printing was being made of two Eager titles, and
HALF MAGIC may have been one of them.  It has been a while since I've
read Eager, but I think the children in HALF MAGIC show up in MAGIC
BY THE LAKE; there are some cross-overs, and you will surely want to
read more of his books.  I am sure the book will age well for you;
I didn't read it for the first time until I was 25.

				Andrew Sigel