Ages 10 & up. In the spirit of Madeleine L'Engle's classic A Wrinkle in Time, this is a fascinating and powerfully involving story about two lonely kids who are inadvertently caught up in the never-ending battle between good and evil. The problems of everyday adolescent life and the mysteries of magic are perfectly blended, along with plenty of humor and suspense. In a starred review, School Library Journal wrote, "well-structured and believable... this fantasy should have wide appeal." Horn Book wrote, "a splendid, unusual fantasy... an outstanding, original work."
From Publishers Weekly
As two young wizards embark on a mission to preserve the universe they encounter an eerie version of Manhattan. Ages 10-up. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
So You Want to Be a Wizard ANNOTATION
Thirteen-year-old Nita, tormented by a gang of bullies because she won't fight back, finds the help she needs in a library book on wizardry which guides her into another dimension.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Something stopped Nita's hand as it ran along the bookshelf. She looked and found that one of the books had a loose thread at the top of its spine. It was one of those So You Want to Be a ... books, a series on careers. So You Want to Be a Pilot, and a Scientist ... a Writer. But this one said, So You Want to Be a Wizard. I don't believe this, Nita thought. She shut the book and stood there, holding it in her hand, confused, amazed, suspicious -- and delighted. If it was a joke, it was a great one. If it wasn't ...?
SYNOPSIS
The book that started it all turns twenty!
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
As two young wizards embark on a mission to preserve the universe they encounter an eerie version of Manhattan. Ages 10-up. (June)
Children's Literature - Mary Sue Preissner
This is the paperback version of a 1983 book which Horn Book said "stands between the works of Diana Wynne Jones...and...Madeleine L'Engle....An outstanding original work." As Nita is browsing the shelves, she happens upon a ratty old book and becomes both intrigued with its title and contents.
AudioFile - Joyce E. McCarty
So You Want to Be a Wizard begins with bullies in the real world of a 13-year-old girl who refuses to fight and her classmate who is goaded because of his Hispanic accent. Having been separately drawn to a book of magic and spells, these young folks find friendship and a common goal as they're drawn into a bleak futuristic world where bullies abound. Christina Moore shares Nita's cautious excitement, sense of adventure and strength of conviction, and she does equal justice to the life and character of Fred, a ball of light and energy. Kit's accent is actually pretty mild and comes across as more "New York" than Hispanic, but it's consistent and doesn't overshadow him or the other characters. J.E.M. ﾽ AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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