Summary

Two thirteen year olds, lonely and bullied, stumble upon magic and hope to use it to ward off their persecutors. However, they soon find that it’s much more than that. Written in 1983 by Diane Duane, So You Want to Be a Wizard is the first book in the series Young Wizards, consisting of ten books in total. This novel follows the lives of Kit and Nita as they navigate a world filled with magic. One day, Nita Callahan discovers a book titled So You Want to Be a Wizard. Though originally disregarding it as a joke, she takes the Wizard’s Oath. However, on the way back home, Nita’s tormentors Joanne and her friends bully her and steal her favorite pen. Later, she meets Kit, a fellow wizard, and a simple pen retrieval spell leads them on an adventure filled with risks and dangers as they fight against the Lone Power. Along the way they’ll meet friends and foes, all of whom play an important role in this beautifully woven tale. In all honesty, I wish I had discovered this book before. So You Want to Be a Wizard sparked my imagination, something I don’t use as often nowadays, and brought back nostalgic memories of the several Harry Potter and Star Wars movie marathons I had in an attempt to become a wizard. To say that there was something that I disliked in this masterpiece would be a lie. Along the way, I found myself falling in love with Nita’s character. The more I read, the more I saw myself in her. As a thirteen year old and an avid reader, I could relate to her on a personal level. An instance of this would be our shared view on libraries. “...a little brown-brick building with windows warmly alight — refuge, safety, sanctuary. The library.” Since keeping this great find to myself would be entirely selfish on my part, I whole-heartedly recommend this novel to others. I myself have started Deep Wizardry, the next title in this series, because as Diane Duane says, “Reading one book is like eating one potato chip.” Age Rating: 10 years or older Star Rating: 4.5/5 - Anusha Upadhyayula