Author/Illustrator: Chris Van Allsburg
Alan accidentally allows Miss Hester's dog, Fritz, to enter a magician's garden and is horrified when he thinks Fritz has been turned into a duck.
Abdul Gasazi is a magician who lives in a large and mysterious castle. Mrs. McLain's and Mrs. Shultz's students built their own castles, complete with at least one "magic" contraption. The project elaborates on the imagery in the book, which merely alludes to the magical nature of the house. Students studied castle designs, drafted a plan, then experimented with devices and contraptions that would form the magical element.