Things are not right at the Strega-Borgia castle. Signor Luciano Strega-Borgia has been kidnapped. Signora Baci Strega-Borgia is struggling with her spells at the Advanced Witchcraft Institute.Titus and Pandora don't like their suspiciously cheerful and fearless new nanny. Baby Damp has been accidentally shrunk, e-mailed, and lost on the World Wide Web. And to top it off, there's a gangster in a bunny suit lurking about. . . . This seriously over-the-top, gothic romp is sure to have readers clamoring for the next Strega-Borgia adventure. From the Hardcover edition.
Welcome to StregaSchloss, the ancestral castle of the Scottish clan Strega-Borgia. Ignore the sign at the gate that reads, "Warning! Trespassers will be (a) served for breakfast, (b) turned into frogs, (c) forced to eat Brussels sprouts." Cross over the drawbridge, try not to get eaten by the crocodile in the moat, ring the bell, and don't flinch when the butler, Latch, drags open the heavy door and intones "You rang?" Meet the inhabitants: Titus, 12; his sister Pandora, 10; the baby, Damp; their Mary Poppins-like nanny, Mrs. McLachlan; the grim housemaid, Marie Bain; and down in the dungeon, the large untidy house pets--a yeti, a griffin, and a dragon. Signora Strega-Borgia is away at her witchcraft class; Signor Strega-Borgia has been kidnapped by his evil brother, and at the bottom of the freezer in the wine cellar is the ancestral grandmother, Strega-Nonna, wrapped in several layers of aluminum foil, waiting for a cure for old age to be discovered. Now get ready for some of the most deliciously bizarre and hilarious goings-on ever to grace a cyber-gothic-gangster fantasy. Pandora accidentally shrinks Damp with her mother's Disposawand and the tiny baby crawls into the computer modem and is whisked away into cyberspace; some spectacularly inefficient gangsters (including one in a rabbit suit) arrive and are up to no good; Titus sends his pet spider, Tarantella, into the Internet (mother of all webs) to find Damp; and Mrs. McLachlan comes to everybody's rescue in an uproarious finale to the most original fantasy in years. (Ages 10 to 14) --Patty Campbell
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Perfect balance of humor. the macabre (and man-eating beasts):
Debi Gliori's novel Pure Dead Magic first caught my attention as a library page for two simple reasons: the unique title and the rather enticing plaid background of the cover (which also features a neat illustration by Glin Dibley). Before embarking on Pure Dead Magic, a work of longer fiction, Gliori had written and illustrated picture books for children. I have seen this book, the first in a trilogy, shelved both with children's and young adult books. I'm more inclined to call it a children's book... more info
Cornwall,NY Sixth Grader:
I am a sixth grader, I read the book Pure Dead Magic by Debi Gliori. It was a very entertaining book. This book was full of humor and magic with a modern day twist. The main characters Titus and his sister Pandora (aka Pan) go through a lot of events such as their father Signor Luciano Strega-Borgia, has been kidnapped. Their mother, Signora Baci Strega-Borgia, is to preoccupied with her advance ed witchcraft classes. Their baby sister ,Damp, has been accidentally shrunk, e-mailed, and lost in the World... more info
ZANY AND FUN:
Signor Strega-Borgia has deserted his family. The house (and family) are badly in need of a nanny, housekeeper, and cook rolled into one. A man-eating crocodile inhabits the moat. Great-great-great-great-great-great- grandmother sleeps preserved in the freezer, patiently waiting the day when the cure for old age will be found. Everything seems to be going wrong in the Strega-Borgia family. Titus, Pandora, and baby sister Damp must go through a series of darkly zany, magical events to re-unite their... more info
Pure Dead Magical:
This is a great book!!!!! The antics of the Strega-Borgia's are so funny!! I really loved all the beasts and creatures that live in StregaSchloss. With a balence of comedy , danger and heroics, this is pretty much the perfect book. the relantionships of Titus and pandora remind me of me and my twin bro. Recommended to any kid who wants a good laugh or a just plain good read.
