Jennifer Murdley's Toad

It’s exceptionally difficult to weave a tale that illustrates that it’s inner beauty — not outer — that’s important, but Bruce Coville rises to the challenge. In this third book in his Magic Shop series, Jennifer Murdley — plain-faced, beady-eyed, heavy-set — laments her looks and the bullying she r......more

I read this book a long time ago as a kid, so I will admit there's not a lot of details I remember, but the one thing that always stuck in my head was the scene where it's revealed where the toad came from. It was a fun spin off/sorta modern-day sequel of the old fairy tale 'Toads and Diamonds' (tho......more

Jennifer wishes she could be beautiful, but feels ugly and dumpy. When she buys a talking toad at the Magic Shop, her entire life changes, and she is whisked on an adventure where she will have to choose between pursuing beauty or saving her friends. I loved this hilarious story, and read it all in o......more

I read this book aloud to my class of third graders. Cute book and they loved all the silliness! They are inspired to try other Magic Shop books on their own, and that is awesome!......more

We listened to the full cast audio book, and my 5 year old loved the story.......more