School of Wizardry (Circle of Magic, Book 1) [Paperback]

Debra Doyle (Author), James D. Macdonald (Author), Judith Mitchell (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Circle of Magic

In this first book of a six-title fantasy series, readers will meet a young squire named Randal, who leaves the security of his life at home to become a student at the School of Wizardry. In his spellbinding journey from sorcerer's apprentice to journeyman wizard, Randal will encounter endless perils and deadly enemies...and young readers won't want to miss one bit of the intrigue or excitement! Ages 8 - 12.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Troll Communications (September 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816769362
• ISBN-13: 978-0816769360
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #607,813 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I want the Whole series. . ., January 30, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: School of Wizardry (Circle of Magic, Book 1) (Paperback)

In 6th grade I read my first of the Circle of Magic books, the School of Wizardry. It started me into realm of fire breathing dragons, arrogant wizards, and gallant knights. Here I was hiding the book under my notebook at school, because even then I felt embarrassed at the size and childness of the book. The books have the reading level set at the age of 9-12 and because of this many might look over them. Though these books inspired me as a youth to explore the wide variety of literature out there, I feel it can do the same for ANYONE. Debra Doyle has found a way to reach out to ALL audiences. The publicity was down, so thence the sales. But the books themselves are magnificent. As I have not so forcibly made my younger brother read them, he has become a fan at the age of 14. As he checked them out of my old Junior High, I got the chance to read them once more as a Senior in High School. Of course this time I didn't have to hide them, but flaunted them as the occasion permitted. Now this review is quickly becoming unhelpful, but the point I am trying to put across is that these books appeal to ALL ages. I love them. On my list are classics like The Hobbit, A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court, and the Wheel Of Time series. But the circle of magic (though somewhat adolescent) stand out among the best. I can't think of another book I would rather have my children read in the future, and for anyone with the love of fantasy and imagination.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great, not perfect, July 19, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: School of Wizardry (Circle of Magic, Book 1) (Paperback)

I just finished reading this to my 8-year-old son, and we both enjoyed it. We have read all of the Harry Potter series, which was an obvious point of comparison. First off, my son kept repeating, as we got further into the text, "This is so much better than Harry Potter." That is quite an endorsement, since he likes the Potter books a great deal.
While this book is filled with interesting characters and details, there are obviously some limitations to what you can develop in so few pages. However, in the end I thought the details that were included in this text left Harry Potter looking a bit cartoonish. We both enjoyed the descriptions of of inner workings of the spells as they were cast.
I think this book is great for reading aloud and would also work for slightly older kids reading to themselves. However, it is clearly no Lord of the Rings, nor does it pretend to be.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming, April 11, 2002

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: School of Wizardry (Circle of Magic, Book 1) (Paperback)

Wizardry of any kind is enjoying a boom at the moment, and this includes the reappearance of the "Circle of Magic" series. This is the first book of six, a nice little series that I'd love to see in omnibus edition.

Randal is an ordinary squire in Doun until the day the wizard Madoc shows up. Without any clear reason why, Randal is attracted to the life of a wizard; a prophetic dream adds to this feeling. Madoc tries to warn him off, but Randal means it: He wants to be a wizard. Madoc finally takes him to the Schola, a wizards' school.

But learning magic and wizardry are not as easy as Randal thought. "Potential" does not mean that he will pass, and wizards are forbidden to kill, lie, or use a weapon. Randal finds it unbearably difficult to do even the most basic magic. He throws himself into his studies... but just as everything seems to be turning for the better, he finds himself face-to-face with a hideous threat.

Randal is the ideal hero for any kid who has struggled in school, not through lack of effort but from lack of understanding; he's smart, brave, gutsy, and sweet. He's supported by the enigmatic wanderer Madoc, his cheerful friend Nicholas, and the ragged musician Elys.

The older wizards are well-portrayed, being stern but kindly, strict but not rigid; the Schola is likewise, a place of great learning and magic, but also incredibly difficult to get through. Writing is very good as well; Doyle/Macdonald don't talk down to their readers, or dumb things down with the assumption that the kiddies can't handle anything more complex. They also put forth the neglected idea that just because you do badly at studies doesn't mean you're stupid, and that such things can be overcome more often than not.

Many authors can't pull off trying to tell a story in fragments of six, seven, eight small books. The end results are often poorly written and horribly characterized. Garth Nix can pull it off, and so can Debra Doyle and James D. Macdonald. This book is both well-written and well-characterized, and I'm looking forward to the next one.