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So You Want to Be a Wizard

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 7, age appropriate for kids over 9; suggested age 9.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Blends fantasy, science fiction in equal measures.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 9 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Kit is bullied because of his Spanish accent.

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Getting beaten up by bullies, fantasy violence, Kit is injured, a parrot is smacked in the beak. Nita and Kit are stalked by the evil Lone Power and its minions.

  • Sex:

    Not an issue.

  • Language:

    A couple of mild swears, one in Spanish.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of So You Want to Be a Wizard was written by Matt Berman

Parents need to know that there's some mild, mostly fantasy, violence in this first book in the series. Characters get beat up by bullies and are stalked by evil beings. There's also some swearing.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about a lot here, including the religious overtones present in the author's conception of the creation and order of the universe, the idea of intelligence being present in all things, and the importance of language and books.
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More on So You Want to Be a Wizard

Book Summary

Nita, chased by bullies, hides in a library and finds astrange book called So You Want to Be a Wizard. It contains information about the nature and structure of the universe, instruction in the use of magic, and a Wizard's Oath. After taking the Oath, Nita discovers that thecontents of the books change to meet her needs and growing abilities, and that she must undergo an ordeal.

She meets another young wizard-to-be, Kit, and together with an intelligent white hole they accidentally call up, they are transported to a dangerous parallel universe run by the Lone Power, where they must retrieve the Bookof Night with Moon which he has stolen and which is necessary for maintaining the stability of the universe.

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Is It Any Good?

Long before Harry Potter went to Hogwarts, Nita and Kit began their wizard training in this unusual series that blends fantasy and science fiction in equal measures. Rooted both in Judeo-Christian cosmology and a sort of all-encompassing animism, the novel's fascination comes not only from the weird adventures of the protagonists, but also from the magical-scientific details, conveyed in the author's own delightful technobabble.

This entry in the series is also a love song to New York City, and the world of the Lone Power is seen as a twisted version of Manhattan filled with living (and mostly vicious) taxicabs and helicopters. The settings, in and around downtown Manhattan, are vividly realized.
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Publisher’s Details

Publisher: Harcourt Brace and Co., Publication date: 01/01/1983
Number of pages: 370, Price: $6.95 (paperback)
Read Aloud: 9+, Read Alone: 9+

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Voracious Reader
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 9 and give it 4.0

    Good

    It was good, lol.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  2. Adult Reviewer
    minoragentofchao ...
    Lives in Ohio
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 5.0

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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