Buddy read with Hilary, here's Hilary's Review (it's better than mine :D)

It may not be obvious from title and the blurb, but this story is not Fantasy, nor Magical Realism.

Even as a kid I was not much of a reader of realistic fiction, I preferred Fantasy stories. But there were a few exceptions, and I think this would have been one of them, if I'd read it as a young person. Since I've read books by this author before, including another that is realistic fiction, The Velvet Room (which was one of my favorites as a kid), I was not surprised how well she really captures the thoughts and feelings of childhood, the experience from the perspective of a kid, but I was very delighted by it here.

This story really captures how magical shared imagination is in childhood with a good friend. The make-believe, the magical thinking - even when knowing it's make believe, the close bond of friendship and how impactful that can be, helping to shape who we grow up to be.

For parents:While playing and imagining the girls do mention things about being someone else in a past life, and create make believe spells, etc. If you're particular about that sort of thing, be aware.

Also, there are a couple mentions of High School students doing drugs. In one place it's pills (non-specified), in another it's pot. It's not delved into, and doesn't involve the MC, but it is there. So, this one might be better for MG readers who are on the older side of that range.

Just stumbled upon this book by accident, thank you, Goodreads! Have been trying to remember the title for the longest time! I read this several times in grade school, it fascinated me! Ivy Carson is from a, well, trashy family, but she herself is very different. She tells the mousy Martha who is her best friend that she is the daughter of the fairy queen, and has been switched with the real Ivy Carson. Ivy is a gifted but unschooled dancer, with wild black hair and capricious moods. She reminded me, in a way, of my own best friend in junior high. There is something timeless and beautiful about this book, and how Ivy and Martha change over the years. I just adored this little book, and I should find a copy for my daughter, when she's a bit older.

A quickie from 1970, this YA book so beautifully depicts what a friendship between young and pre-teen girls looks like.

The Book Gods sent THE CHANGELING to me at precisely the right time in life. I was a lonely little girl who loved to dream, hated sports, and cried easily. Not surprisingly, I was widely hated by my peers, and sought refuge in books. And while I loved being transported to magical places like Oz and Narnia, I was intensely aware that these books had little bearing on "real life."

THE CHANGELING was different. It was about a young girl growing up in a status-conscious family. Her older brother and sister were terribly popular, while her parents were successful and sophisticated. Naturally, Martha feels like an ugly duckling surrounded by swans. Then Ivy Carson comes to town. Ivy's family is utterly disreputable and lets her run wild. Soon, Ivy recruits Martha as her best friend, confiding that she's actually not a Carson, but a changeling -- an child of magical origin who was switched at birth. Soon, the girls are performing witchy ceremonies and create a fantasy realm to which they escape on a regular basis. Not surprisingly, their friendship becomes a lightning rod for school bullies, and is nearly torn apart when Ivy is forced to admit that she isn't a changeling, but an ordinary girl who can't vanquish her real-life enemies.

Although I was disappointed that Ivy wasn't truly a changeling, I took comfort in this story, which depicts a girl who uses the idea of magic to realize her creative talent. It's beautiful to see how Ivy's friendship transforms Martha into a shy mouse into a talented actress. If that's not magic, I don't know what is.

This book is also beautifully illustrated by Alton Raible. It's lovely to see an illustrator that perfectly captures the spirit of a book. I wish more books had interior illustrations...this seems to becoming a lost art.

Thank heavens somebody had the sense to put this book back in print. It's a real gem and deserves your time if you're seeking to make a personal transformation of your own.

Martha and Ivy are best friends. Can their friendship survive Ivy's frequent moves, Martha's judgmental Grandma and bullies at school? According to Ivy, magic might be just the solution.

“Know all the Questions, but not the Answers
Look for the Different, instead of the Same
Never Walk where there's room for Running
Don't do anything that can't be a Game”
― Zilpha Keatley Snyder, The Changeling


Just..one of the best. What a writer! The Changeling remains, along with "The Velvet room", another one by this author, one of my all time faves.

Have you ever felt like a "Changeling"? Did you feel like when in childhood? Even for a moment? I think most of us have.

In the case of Ivy and Martha..WELL..I am not going to say! This book is a celebration of Martha, of Ivy and all the Changelings here, there and everywhere.

It is worth noting, if you missed this one in childhood no matter. I did a reread recently..the person who had it before me had written in the book "This is a good book!". I do not even know that person.

So then I reread, loaned it to a friend and she loved it too.

The Changeling transcends age and time. Will always be a classic.

Martha Abbott is the youngest of three in a busy social status-aware household. In contrast to her popular older siblings, Martha is quiet and shy and doesn't make friends easily. But then Ivy Carson shows up. The Carsons are not a respectable kind of family, and the father and sons are regularly in trouble with the law. They move often, but just as often return to the dilapidated old family home nearby. But Ivy is nice in a strange sort of away and she has a vivid imagination, even believing herself to be a "changeling" ("I think I might be a wood nymph or water sprite or something like that."). And she's just the sort of friend Martha needs.

This was a really sweet book about childhood friendship through the years. Not only do we get Martha's perspective of being something of a disappointment to her family, but we eventually get Ivy's frustrations of the way she's treated because of hers. It's one of those middle-grade books that just feels mature and even important - not silly or action-packed - just nice. I was a bit surprised at how casually drug use was discussed at one point in the story, but I guess since the book was written in 1970 the author was trying to be "hip" to all that. But other than that weirdness, it was a really nice story.

Top#1 Childhood classic!!

This novel is about a magical creature who was exchanged for a human baby and only appears to be a normal girl. That’s how I remembered the story from when I read it back in grade school. Like “The Egypt Game” by the same author, I must have understood when I finished this book that there was nothing supernatural in the story, only two girls with beautiful imaginations. And yet, as a grownup I remember them as tales of magic. I also remember that I loved them, and both books are as special to me now, if not more so. OMG, I love this book!

I’m restarting my ZKS read-through. I can’t remember if I read this as a child, but I would have loved it then. I do love how this book shows the evolution of their friendship from 7 to 16 years old.

Absolutely lovely.

This reads like a Nancy Drew if Nancy had been younger, not solving mysteries and was a bit of an awkward crybaby with a very original friend.

The friend, Ivy, is really the main part of the story. Ivy and Martha's friendship grows and evolves as time passes. Ivy never seems to change and is always, authentically, 100% herself. Martha however changes from page to page becoming more imaginative, more confident and more herself (less swayed by the wishes of others).

Ivy comes and goes in the story and the story ends with Ivy permanently leaving for her dream.