A Wizard's Dozen: Stories of the Fantastic [Hardcover]

Michael Stearns (Editor), Michael Hussar (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

In this collection of short stories, some of the characters you’ll meet include a werewolf princess, a clan of Sea Giants, a feisty king’s daughter known as The Princess Who Kicked Butt, and a fairy child kidnapped by ants. Contributors include Bruce Coville, Charles de Lint, Will Shetterly, Betty Levin, Jane Yolen, and many more. “The selections are well written, neatly plotted works that showcase a wide range of styles.”--School Library Journal

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up-A collection of 13 stories that goes far beyond the typical swords/ quests/evil wizards perception of fantasy. The selections are well written, neatly plotted works that showcase a wide range of styles. Each one will leave readers with plenty to muse over. Some are delightfully silly, such as Will Shetterly's "Princess Who Kicked Butt"; others explore more serious themes, such as Vivian Vande Velde's "Lost Soul," in which a young man is seduced by a water nymph. Because the tales are all so short, this title would be perfect for those who read on the run, or for group discussion. A balanced and pleasing introduction to the genre.
Patricia A. Dollisch, DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, GA
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 7-12. In these 13 tales of the strange and magical, which range from the lighthearted to the eerie to the tragic, there is something to appeal to every kind of fantasy reader. A young farmer is bewitched and betrayed by a seductive river spirit in the chilling "Lost Soul," by Vivian Vande Velde; a touchy wizard-caliph curses anyone who makes him lose his temper in Patricia Wrede's "The Sixty-two Curses of Caliph Arenschadd"; and in Bruce Coville's "With His Head Tucked underneath His Arm," an army of the dead convince soldiers bent on war to go home where they belong. The stories encompass a wide variety of themes and styles, and they will adapt quite nicely to the 60-second "on the floor" booktalk. The brief biographic entries supply just enough information to pique interest and lead readers to other work by the same authors. Janice Del Negro

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1st edition (October 31, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152009655
• ISBN-13: 978-0152009656
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #851,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An enchanting book filled with wonderful stories, July 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Wizard's Dozen: Stories of the Fantastic (Mass Market Paperback)

I'm not a big fantasy buff. Those series' are way too hard to follow, but I usually read short stories. When I picked this one up at the library, I liked the cover, and I had read a lot of other books by authors who had written stories for it. So I though ' Why not?'. I have to say that my favorite story was ' The Sixty-Two Curses of Caliph Arreenschaad. All the stories were fantastic and I kept reading because they were all different and unique. I'm planning on reading 'A Nightmare's Dozen' and 'A Starfarer's Dozen' as well!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book, June 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Wizard's Dozen: Stories of the Fantastic (Hardcover)

"A Wizard's Dozen" was an excellent book of fairy-tail like stories, but they were more or less like a tangled web, much more complicated and exciting than "Cinderella" or "Aladdin". Each story had a sort of lesson to teach, explained inside of the story. All the stories told tales of fantastic beings or places, or of lessons taught to others by spirits. I highly reccommend this book to anyone with a good knowledge for fantasy.

4.0 out of 5 stars Take the bad with the good..., May 10, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Wizard's Dozen: Stories of the Fantastic (Hardcover)

A Wizard's Dozan contained some interesting stories that were thought provoking, touching, or sweet. But some of the stories were a little imature and silly. Over all, however, the majority of the stories were satisfying and the book makes a good purchase, if only for the splendid illistrations and cover.