(Found) Please help me find this book!

[Oceanplume]

There is this book that my grade 8 teacher was going to read to the class but changed it to a different one after 2 chapters cause a mass majority of classmates didn't like it.

I was enjoying it and I cannot remember what the name is but for some reason "The Alchemist" comes to mind but that is a totally different book.

The book is red with a design on the cover and little images on it.

The only thing I remember about the first chapters is that there is 2 protagonists, (I believe a boy and a girl) siblings? Maybe? That find a book (that is magical? Which is why I think alchemist comes to mind) and are attacked by a magic wielder?

Mind you this was 10 years ago when my teacher at the time read it. So if someone can find what this book is just from my vague description it would help immensely since I've been trying to find it for years.

 

[ZlodeyVolk]

Never mind—it's late, and I don't read well when I'm tired.

 

[Matteo]

Is it perhaps The Alchemyst (note spelling...) by Michael Scott?

First part of Wikipedia synopsis:
Sophie and Josh Newman are 15-year-old twins who are working at their summer jobs in The Coffee Cup in San Francisco (Sophie works at The Coffee Cup, Josh works at the bookstore on the other side of the street) when a mysterious man, John Dee, comes into the bookstore for a book, the Codex – or Book of Abraham the Mage. Josh witnesses both Nick and Perry using magic. He discovers that Nick is not an ordinary bookseller, but is the medieval and the legendary alchemist, Nicholas Flamel, being kept alive by making the elixir of life (a secret from the Codex) for him and his wife, Perenelle.

(Though the cover image does not fit your description)

 

[Oceanplume]

OH MY GOD!!!! THAT'S IT!!!! Thank-you so much! I've been searching for that book for years and all it came down to was the spelling.

 

[Matteo]

Glad I could help.

My Google Fu tried "Grade 8 reading list magic book" and found the West Orange public schools suggested summer reading list.

Looking at Good Reads I see it's a series of six books that seems to have reviews that are diametrically opposed; it's either loved or hated (but nothing in between).

 

[PaulMmn]

I wonder when Professor Dumbledore became friends with Nicholas Flamel and his wife,, Perenelle? Hmmmmm....

 

[ZlodeyVolk]

Chego?

 

[PaulMmn]

Chego??

 

[ZlodeyVolk]

That was my question. Get your own.

 

[PaulMmn]

Can you translate "Chego" into American English? Pretty-please??

 

[ZlodeyVolk]

It's Russian for a number of things. In this instance, it's Russian for "What the …?" As in "I have no idea what the post immediately prior to this is about."

 

[PaulMmn]

Oh. Well, Nicolas Flamel is a friend of Albus Dumbledore, chief wizard in the Harry Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (Sorcerer's Stone in the USA). One of the plot element in the HP book is collectable cards in one of the candies of the wizarding world (like bubblegum cards). Most of the cards have pictures of famous wizards. Albus Dumbledore's card reads:

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
Currently Headmaster of Hogwarts
--------------------------------------​

Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.

-----------------

Part of the plot involves HP and friends trying to find out who Nicolas Flamel is. Harry knows he's seen the name somewhere, but can't remember where.

 

[PaulMmn]

ps-- Most of the other wizards on the cards that are mentioned are 'real--' Paracelsus, Agrippa, Ptolemy, Morgana, Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, druidess Cliodna, and Merlin.

 

[ZlodeyVolk]

Yes, yes—but in the context of the book search?

 

[PaulMmn]

Nicolas Flamel is the link... I never realized NF was a real person, and the he was the 'hero' of his own set of books.