The Magic Box

ACCELERATED READER PROGRAM SELECTION Olga Cossi's The Magic Box is a powerful story of a young girl's love for basketball and her transition into adulthood. Her experiences reflect the growing popularity of women's sports, the pressures of teens to smoke, and the value of acceptance and forgiveness. Mara Bennetti is one of Covello High School's star basketball players, and her team is vying for the coveted trophy in the state championship. But because her mother, a member of the school board, has introduced a school ban on athletes who smoke, Mara's chances of playing in the big game could be in jeopardy Just as her relationship with her mother reaches the breaking point, the situation becomes further complicated. Mara's mother develops a mysterious problem with her larynx, the magic box of speech. Mara's biggest struggle is yet to come, and she will need all the love and courage she can muster to see herself, her mother, and the team through this time of extreme tension. An absorbing tale packed with fast-paced action on the courts and a deep understanding of youth's struggles and triumphs, Cossi's courageous book goes one-on-one with sports and health issues.