So You Want to Be a Wizard (digest): The First Book in the Young Wizards Series (Paperback)

by Diane Duane (Author)
Key Phrases: rowan wand, rowan rod, dark rider, Grand Central, Book of Night, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
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." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152049401
• ISBN-13: 978-0152049409
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (190 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #271,704 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 1 in The Young Wizards Series Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

166 of 173 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars . . . And You Thought You Knew Manhattan . . ., June 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards) (Paperback)

"So You Want To Be A Wizard" is the beginning of an exciting and tantalizing series where wizardry and life in the city are a little too close for comfort. Nita, an intelligent but physically unendowed 13-year-old, finds refuge in the kid's section of the library after a particularly bad beating by a group of school bullies - and finds a book that not only tells her that there *is* magic but how to get it, why to get it, and how to use it.

Kit, a 12-year-old Hispanic boy with school troubles similar to hers, teams up with her in a wizardly Ordeal to gain their powers. Shifted "sideways" into an alternate Manhattan, they discover both their wizardly talents and find friends in each other.

I originally read first High Wizardry (the last books in the series), then Deep Wizardry (the second book) and then this, before going on to A Wizard Abroad. I also enjoyed her Feline Wizards series, of which only two books are in print so far. However, other YA readers may not: they are on an adult reading level and you need to appreciate this.

I also recommend other books (most of these are fantasy) by Patricia Wrede (her Dragons series, "Dealing with Dragons", "Talking with Dragons", etc), the Unicorn series by Tamora Pierce ("Black Unicorn", "Red Unicorn"), the "Hero and the Crown" and "The Blue Sword" by Robin McKinley.

All of these books, including (especially!) So You Want To Be A Wizard have strong female protagonists. I am, after all, a 13-year-old girl and really dislike the knight-in-shining-armour- rescues-the-damsel-in-distress stuff.

I believe you will really enjoy So You Want to Be A Wizard. Either buy it here or ask for it at a library. Interlibrary Loan works really well!

Enjoy!

74 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A spellbinding wizard trip, September 13, 2000

By	E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards) (Paperback)

Diane Duane, a great science-fiction writer and author of many Star Trek books, writes an original and special tale of magic and wizardry, which seems less like magic than like magical science. Because of the eerie scenery, this may not appeal to some Harry Potter-type readers.

Nita is a very ordinary kid who is constantly kicked around by the snobby local bullies. To escape them, she heads for the library, and finds a book called "So You Want To Be a Wizard." Thinking it's a joke, Nita checks out the book and goes home to read it. Within days, she's and her new friend Kit are both wizards, and off on a genuinely frightening adventure, to where trees tell stories and cars rove like packs of wolves.

Perhaps the best character is a tiny white hole nicknamed Fred. The funniest scene in the book is when he gets the hiccups...

Manhatten never seemed to be appealing until I read this book, where it hides an alternate world that cannot be described in one of these reviews. Also hidden away is a demonic villain whose evil is not evident when you first see him. Fred's description of him--"starsnuffer"--sounds a bit silly, but it's accurate.

Perhaps the best aspect of this book is that the wizards in it are not simply wizards because they can and because they want to be. The wizards have an integral part in keeping the universe ticking, responsibilities, and pressure to keep doing so. They don't do it for power--they do it because they are good people. This different view is an integral part of the book, that makes it stand apart from much of the kid's fantasy out there.

This book cannot be fully absorbed in one sitting--take the time to savor it, and be sure to reread it. It's that good!

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best around, January 13, 2000

By	ian (Tulsa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: So You Want to Be a Wizard (Young Wizards) (Paperback)

First of all, I find it interesting that another Tulsan wrote about this book, and that I decided to review it so soon after. In my experience, Tulsa is not fertile ground for fantasy-lovers. It was a nice surprise.

But anyway...The book. This book heads up a wonderful series that I would recommend to anyone who even remotely likes magic or science. The characters provide deligthful and strong role models for young people. I know I admired them when I first read it at age twelve (I'm now nineteen). I also find Fred to be one of the most endearing characters in all fantasy. (He possesses the same attractive humor as Sunspark in THE DOOR INTO FIRE, which I would strongely suggest to any Duane fan. It's--sadly--out of print, so check your local used bookstore). Another strength of this book is it's sense of place--it is the first book I ever read that really made me want to visit New York.

The only warning I would give would be for younger readers. I found the very beginning a little heavy, what with all the science-talk. Just keep going--it's well worth the trouble. Also, make sure to read the next two books. They're wonderful as well. In fact, I'm probably going to write glowing reviews for them as well.