The Candy Shop War

Although confections, in general, play a prominent role in the novel, white fudge is also a recurring motif that deserves to be examined separately from superpower candies. The fudge relates to the theme of Establishing Trust. In contrast to the accelerated physical abilities conferred by superpower candies, white fudge acts like a narcotic and works better on adults than children. In fact, if given to children, it will cancel the effect of the superpower candies. Mrs. White says, “Interestingly, adults tend to remain most susceptible to magic that dulls their senses and reduces their vision” (160).

Because of the fudge’s effect, most of the adults in Colson cease to pay attention to their usual responsibilities. They barely notice the existence of their children. When Trevor goes missing in the mirror realm, his mother fails to register his absence. Essentially, all the adults upon whom the children usually depend have been rendered untrustworthy:

Miss Doulin sat at her desk, watching the clock as eagerly as her students, the thin red second hand ticking up toward twelve. Nate wondered how many pieces of fudge she would be eating. If she was anything like his parents and sister, it would be a lot (216).

This lack of parental oversight makes the children especially vulnerable to the influence of the magicians. The Blue Falcons desperately need guidance, but there is no one left to give it to them. Fortunately, John Dart is neither a magician nor addicted to white fudge. He may be the only adult left in Colson who is a trustworthy ally, and he arrives in the nick of time.