TheMag

icBlock

Lavina

Mah

buba

niRo

hitK

aran

dadi

Rinkyloves

herelder

brother’shandw

riting.Hewrites

with

avery

specialshinyink

pen.

1

One

day,whe

nBh

aiya

isno

tath

ome,

Rink

ylook

sforhispe

n.Sh

eslides

open

hisdraw

er.

2

Broughttoyou

by

Let’sRead

isan

initiativeofThe

AsiaFoundation’s

Booksfor

Asiaprogram

thatfostersyoung

readersin

Asia.booksforasia.org

Toread

more

bookslike

thisand

getfurtherinform

ationabout

thisbook,visitletsreadasia.org

OriginalStory

TheMagic

Block,author:LavinaMahbubani.illustrator:Rohit

Karandadi.Releasedunder

CCBY4.0.

Thiswork

isamodified

versionofthe

originalstory.©The

AsiaFoundation,2018.Som

erights

reserved.Releasedunder

CCBY

4.0.

Forfullterm

sofuse

andattribution,

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Outgo

hisbooks!

Outgoes

astapler!

Outgoes

ametalruler!3

Which

ofthesedo

youthinkwillstickto

amag

net?

19

Atthebo

ttom

ofthedraw

er,R

inky

finds

his

specialp

en.

Butw

hat’s

that?

Astrang

eblackblockisstuc

kto

it.

4

thatallowan

objecttostick

toamagnetare

iron,nickel,steelandcobalt.

18

Rinkypulls

thepen

andthe

blockapart.But

then…

Plink,click!Abottle-cap

jumps

andsticks

tothe

block!Rinky

giggleswith

delight.

Canthings

stickto

thisblock

likemagic?

5

TheSe

cret

oftheMag

icBlock

Themag

icblockin

thestoryiscalledaba

rmag

net.Mag

nets

comein

man

ysh

apes.

They

canbe

roun

d,rectan

gular,sq

uare

orU-

shap

ed.

Amag

netc

anno

tstic

kto

allo

bjects.Itc

anon

lystickto

certainob

jectsthat

have

special

elem

ents

inthem

.The

sesp

eciale

lemen

ts

17

Doe

sthestap

lerstickto

thisblock?

Plink,click!

Yes,itsticks.

Doe

sthefurrycats

tickto

it?No,

itdo

esno

t.

6

Justintim

e!Shehears

thedoor

slam,and

Bhaiyawalks

intothe

room.

’Rinky,’saysBhaiya,’W

hyisthere

acoconut

onthe

floor?’

16

Does

themetalruler

stickto

thisblock?

Plink,click!Yes,itsticks.7

Quick!Q

uick!B

haiyawillbe

homesoon

.

Ingo

thepe

nan

dtheblackblock.

Ingo

the

book

san

dstap

ler.In

goes

themetal

ruler.

Rink

yslides

thedraw

ersh

ut.

15

Doe

sthisha

irybrow

ncoconu

tstic

kto

it?No,

itdo

esno

t.

8

Plink,click!Guess

whatsticks

tothe

block?

14

Thehairy

coconutticklesRinky’s

nose.AH

-CHOO!She

sneezesloudly.

Thepen

fliesoutofher

handand

disappearsunder

thebed.

Rinkyisworried.Bhaiya

willbe

backsoon!

9

Rink

ybrings

theblackblockne

artheruler.

Plink,click!

Itsticks!

Shethen

holdstherulerun

derthebe

dan

dstretche

she

rha

nd.

Stretch,

stretch,

stretch...

13

Shesticks

herha

ndun

derthebe

d.Ohno

!She

can’trea

chthepe

n.

10

Suddenly,Rinkyhas

anidea.

Thebestidea

ever!

12

Shetries

toreach

thepen

with

theruler.

Ohno!The

penslides

furtheraw

ay.Ifonly

therewas

away

tobring

thepen

closerto

her.

11