Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Sherman, Delia. The Evil Wizard Smallbone.

Sherman, Delia.  The Evil Wizard Smallbone.  Candlewick Press  2016           408p  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-7636-8805-9    ms       Fantasy  E-BN           

Nick has run away from his abusive uncle and is caught in the middle of a blizzard.  With no other place to go and being chased by a wolf pack, he bangs on the door of the house of one Zachariah Smallbone, proprietor of Evil Wizard Books in Smallbone Cove, Maine.  He is allowed to stay as Smallbone’s apprentice… as long as he convinces the Wizard that he cannot read.  As time goes on, Nick discovers more and more magic as he surreptitiously reads through Smallbone’s bookstore.  He becomes involved with the weird characters that live in the town and helps protect it from those that try to attack it from the outside.

The magical tale unfolds gradually and believably, vividly evoking the strange atmosphere of the town.  This is engaging, suspenseful, well-written fantastical fiction with excellent characterizations and a well-paced plot.  It is sure to appeal to those devotees of another young wizard in the making and will appeal to a wide variety of young readers.

Summary: Nick has run away from his abusive uncle when he stumbles into the Evil Wizard bookstore in Smallbone Cove, Maine.  He’s allowed to stay and apprentice with the Wizard as long as he pretends he cannot read.  This is engaging, suspenseful, well-written fantastical fiction with excellent characterizations and a well-paced plot.  It is sure to appeal to those devotees of another young wizard in the making.   
           

Wizards-Fiction                                                                                                          —Susan Ogintz

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