A Snicker of Magic

Natalie Lloyd’s 2014 novel, A Snicker of Magic, is a middle-grade magical realism story that follows the tale of Felicity Pickle as her family moves to the formerly magical town of Midnight Gulch. The novel explores themes like The Impact of Loneliness and The Power of Words as Felicity navigates the town’s history and her family heritage to learn where all the magic has gone and why her mama moves the family around so much. A Snicker of Magic is Natalie Lloyd’s debut novel and was named Parents Magazine’s Best Children’s Book of 2014. Another novel by Lloyd is Hummingbird. This study guide refers to the 2018 Scholastic Gold paperback edition of the novel.

Content Warning: The source material for this study guide features an outdated and offensive term for Romani people in several instances when referring to the characters’ nomadic lifestyles.

Plot Summary

Felicity Pickle’s family, including Mama, her sister Frannie Jo, and their dog Biscuit, move to a town called Midnight Gulch, Tennessee. Mama grew up in the town, and her sister, Cleo, still lives there. Midnight Gulch used to be a magical town, but the magic has been gone since long before Mama was born.