The First Book in the Young Wizards Series - So You Want to Be a Wizard

Thirteen-year-old Nita's discovery of the book "So You Want to Be a Wizard" in her local library speaks to every avid reader's desire to find something magical in a book. Nita, of course, with her newfound friend Kit (Christopher), also a novice wizard, goes much further than just finding the book: she's able to do the spells in it, too. The pair is soon involved in a classic test that involves outwitting the prince of evil himself.
I read the 350+ pages of this book in a single sitting, and I know I didn't take it all in. It's satisfying at the Harry Potter level, with spells and whatnot, and also at the C. S. Lewis or Charles Williams level, where eschatological catastrophe looms. I'm waiting with great impatience for my eight-year-old to finish the book so that I can reread it. The plot is probably too complex for an eight-year-old, but the details keep his head firmly in the book. The author's inclusion of both a boy and a girl as protagonists helps the book to escape gender stereotyping, and the fact that they have separate strengths and must work together is good for role modeling.

Nita and later Kit become wizards after stumbling across wizarding manuals, and swear oaths of loyalty to uphold the sacred task of being a wizard. Now all they have to do is prove their worthiness on an ordeal. Along their way the meet wonderful characters like Tom& Carl who are senior wizards, Fred the white hole of energy, and the lone power.

These books offer a wonderful yet serious take on magic. It's not a "here's a wand, wave it" magic, but one that actually makes sense in it's world. There are risks to using it, prices to be paid, but a reward for doing the right unlike any other. That anchors the plot more then books of the similar like ever have. The use of cosmic forces and the book's wizards, also gave it a wonderful spin.

The plot slides toward predictability sometimes, but it's originality with concepts and scenes redeemed it then.

Diane Duane has created a lovely book to start off a series that explore the cost of using magic, and the wonderful journey that magic will take you on.

After reading a much later book in the Young Wizards series, I had no idea that it was a series! However, when visiting friends in Toronto, 'So, you Wanna be a Wizard?' caught my eye at a small bookstore on King St. near the time of the Jazz Fest. Well, what first caught my eye was the beautiful cover illustration. Secondly -and this was the last and first straw of any force that might've kept me from buying this book- I noticed the author, in bold print; Diane Duanne. Finally, I noticed the title. Without further observation or reluctance, I took the book under wing and left Toronto the next day.
'So, you Wanna be a Wizard?' (more due to its beauty than its size or DEFINITELY structure) took me twenty-three hours -with the regular day's interruptions that would be expected added on to this timing- to complete. I refused to sleep until I reached the ending, which is satisfying, but harbors a need to buy the next sequel. What a beautiful combination, eh?
My recommendation?
1. Buy this book.
2. Break your piggy bank into pieces.
3. Buy all the other books.
4. Love yourself for doin' it.

I really enjoyed this book, I finished a third read tonight. I wish I could have read it in high school. It is very well structured, with imaginary resources that are self-consistent. It was a joy to read this. The style was very simple, and I could immediately go into the story, without slogging through the words. A fun read. I could compare it to The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, Volume 1: Charmed Life / The Lives of Christopher Chant, or Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1), but it has a charm all its own. I have read every book in the series.

I'm rereading the series since this series was my Harry Potter experience. Young Wizards is a magical read and is so masterfully told that when I read it as a teenager, I thought, I hoped, that it was real because it could be, you know? You just got to read it to understand. The book and series also was the start of my desire to do the right thing whether that was to recycle, be nice, or to love other people since I wanted to battle the Lone One~ Anyway, its a great read y'all! You'll have fun, and the rest are even better!

This is THE Wizardry book -- Diane was doing Young Wizards way before JK Rowling even thought of ol' HP, and Diane does it better. Nita is a loner, an outsider, a smart, lonely bookworm who gets snagged by the Powers That Be to be a Wizard -- we're not talking cutesy punny-spells ala' HP, we're talking a real Wizard, one who vows to protect & serve Life. Nita doesn't leave the "real" world behind; she's now one of those vowed to protect it from the Lone Power (who invented Death). These books are great mind-stretching, thinking reads, without ever becoming preachy. I fell in love with this book while in high school, and now I'm 37 years old and still eagerly waiting for Diane to write more of the series.

This series (I have read all of them, including the newest, Wizards at War) is fascinating. I found the first one tucked away at my local library, rather like Nita does in the book. I read it, and kept it in my head ever since. I discovered teh sequels eventually and devoured them as they came. I am ordering the Feline Wizards series, my friend read The Book Of Night With Moon and enjoyed it.

How shall I describe these books? You've read Harry Potter, you've read Eragon, but then you read these and all those happy little magic stories crash around your ears and you are stunned by the implications of the powers mentioned there. This book was not "look what I can do when I whisper some nonsense words", it was "wow, I have a gift from the Powers That Be to try and help protect the universe, which I will do, even though the magic is very difficult and exhausts or possibly kills me in large quantities." It is a fantasy, and yet seems downright practical compared with so many other fantasies. It supplies answers for all the questions the other books don't mention, like how you get your powers, and why. I've read all these books, and was entranced by the simplistic, stunning approach to wizrdry as the Art, the practice of helping life in all its forms. THAT is a good reason to say nonsense words, don't you think?! Well, now that I've rambled sufficiently, I'll lay it out: Read this series if you like fantasy and magic, but like science and an intellectual, logical approach to the whole thing, and some of the most epic, clever battles against evil you will ever experience.

I picked up "High Wizardry," the third book in this series, about two years ago because I was looking for something to read for the few days before Christmas. That didn't last long - I was finished it barely after Christmas break had started! Anyway, I liked it a lot and decided to start from the beginning.
"So You Want To Be A Wizard" was good, but not great. Since I'm not a seasoned science fiction reader (I go more for high fantasy) I found some of the technical terminology that Duane uses somewhat confusing. The magic that the wizards use in this book is a mixture of scientific equations and traditional magic like that we see in Harry Potter, complete with wand-waving. It's an original and unusual way to look at the ageless myths of magic and wizards, sorcery and battles against evil, and I would recommend it to those who like sci-fi and even some who like fantasy. But, if high fantasy is more what you're looking for, I suggest Tamora Pierce's "Song of the Lioness" quartet.

I have read a lot of science fiction novels including the "Wrinkle in Time" trilogy and the Philip Pullman Trilogy. This was the best book of all of them. It was not as confusing as Madeleine L'Engle's novels and not as emotional as Philip Pullman's stories. It had humor, suspense, mystery, and all kinds of other things mixed throughout it. It also had great descriptions and characters. It introduced a new sci-fi storyline as well, not just another good versus evil with confusing stuff in between. I would recommend this book to anyone who is willing to read a surpisingly good story.

The original trilogy was one of my favorite series of books as a kid. This of course anticipated harry potter, but is not obsoleted by it. It's a very different reading experience, of course, and will scratch different issues.

Where other books that deal with 'magic' might take it for granted that it works, this book (and in fact the whole series) gives you more of an insight into WHY and HOW it could work. Suddenly, magic becomes less "magic" and more "real". Because of this, the reader is helped to suspend their disbelief, ably assisted by Miss Duane's compelling imagery. I will always be able to clearly envision the dark Manhattan street down which novice wizards Nita and Kit (and don't forget Fred!) make their way (without giving too many further details of the plot away), even if I never reread the book again (and I have).

Nita Callahan and Kit Rodriguez were once two ordinary kids, until they found the book So You Want To Be A Wizard. They took the wizard's oath and now they have magical powers. The oath says that they can only use their powers to fight death, which the Lone Power created. The Lone Power, also known as the Star Snuffer, is evil and wants death inflicted everywhere. To become a full wizard, these two amateur wizards must first prove themselves. With a little help from a white hole, which is the opposite of a black hole, named Fred they must go into an evil world, where taxis act like a pack of wolves and the helicopters are protective mothers, to save the whole of outer space from the Lone Power. Can they or will they die trying?
I think that So You Want To Be A Wizard by Diane Duane is one of the best books I've ever read. Duane is an incredible author who keeps the readers on their toes. This is a good book for anyone who likes magic. However, readers might not like it if they only like Harry Potter-type magic, because the wizards in this book don't need wands or a school for wizardry. All they do is look up the spell in their never-ending spell book. Duane's wizardry is unlike any other type that I've read. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes both suspense and fantasy.

This is a fabulous book for young adults and adults that wish to dive into fantacy about magic and young teens. If you liked the Harry Potter series of books, you will love these Wizard series by Diane Duane. Nita Callahan, a 13 year old, is chosen to become a Wizard by the Wizard's Manual itself. Nita thinks this is a way out of being bullied by some school mates but finds that the price is much much higher. She meets a new friend Kit who is also a Wizard and together they fight for the preservation of life against the Lone Power. Without giving the entire plot away, you will find yourself lost in her world of wizardry without the impact of today's violence you see on the TV. Its truely an exciting series to be recommended to all young adults and the young at heart.

This book introduces the two main characters that will stay with this series up to as far as I have read into the series, which is up to book five. The two main wizards are Nita and Kit. The story begins with Nita having a horrible bully problems (she has a big mouth that she can not control). Day Nita is chased into the local library. As she is browsing through the children's section, in order to duck out from the bullies chasing her, she notices a book that she has never seen in the library before. It was titled So You Want to be a Wizard. Nita took the book home and found an oath inside the first few pages of the book. It was the wizard's oath. Nita did not know this when she accepted the oath but when she read it she had sworn herself to the powers and to protect anything worth living. The next day when she awakened Nita took another look into the book, or manual. Nita found a section in the book that supposedly listed some of the "wizards" in the area that she lived in. As she briefly skimmed down the list of names she was abruptly stopped when she had discovered her name in black and white.
Nita was very confused but that was not the weirdest part. All of a sudden Nita could talk to trees. The trees told her about another boy wizard who was using their branches for spells without asking and how it was aggravating the trees. Nita was happy that she would find another wizard but also a little creped out because she was finding this boy wizard from the gossip of a few trees. The boy that was doing the damage was Kit. Kit and Nita become friends realizing how their powers work and how their powers were different. They decide to do a spell together that does not go as plan. They accidentally (if accidentally does exist in wizardry) braught something into earth that was not suppose to be there. This is the part of the book where it gets a little scientific and theoretical, but from what I can remember what they brought was either a white black whole or a special type of star. Now I know what you are thinking that if you bring something in with that much gravity you got problems but it was not exactly like that. After the spell was over they saw the being in a true form. All it was a small floating light that communicated with people through thought and the speech. The speech is a wizard type language that all complex enough living things and non-living things speak. That is Nita can talk to trees as well as other things. Anyway the reason Fed, as they call their new outer planet friend, does not have a gravity problem is that it has all that energy and gravity stored in other places. The duos eventually bite off almost more than they can chew. They enter an alternate New York City where the things are just evil. Especially the things that are not living. The Lone Power created this world. The Lone Power is the very thing that created death in the beginning of time. He is the wizards' worst enemy.
The book has an interesting ending that I do not want to ruin for you. In my opinion I would recommend this series of books to anyone but I do have to warn you the first series, which is the one I am writing about, is a little.... well...slow no that is not it...it is.... boring at times. Ya that is the right answer. Hope you like the book and/or series.
P.S. Dian Duane, the author of this book, is a great author.

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.

I bought this book because of favorable reviews comparing it to books by Madeleine L'engle and the Harry Potter books. In that respect, I was greatly disappointed. The writing of the story did not flow smoothly and did not fully draw me into the characters, while the Harry Potter books instantly pulled me into story. There were parts of the story that were nicely done, but the book was not a joy to read as are the Harry Potter books, and not as easily read as the Madeleine L'engle books. So while parts of it were interesting and good, overall not one of my favorite books.

Thirteen year old Nita Callahan is perfectly ordinary, until she is chased by a pack of bullies. She runs into the local library and in the Children's Section. Nita lets her fingers browsers through old familiar books she had read before until she came across the 'So You Want to Be a....' series. Her suddenly caught the name 'So You Want To Be A Wizard'! She borrows it and reads it at home "This has to be a joke." Nita says. But on her way home Joanne and her group [the bullies] beat her up.
Nita walks home, feeling sore and tired, but finishes the book. She finished the book and thinks she can do all these spells to stop Joanne from beating her up. She reads the oath aloud, but nothing happens. The next day she figures out she's a wizard, when she was walking to school she hears a tree talking to her.
Nita, her new wizard friend Kit and Fred, a white hole, go 1st to Manhatten where the Lone Power has taken over, to help Fred stop all his emmisions, which are caused by hiccups. But then they are trapped there, where cars tear each other up and helicopters also kill. They are there to find 'The Book Of Night With Moon.' to save Manhatten and the world from the Lone Power or the starsnuffer.
Exciting this book is, full of adventure and mystery. If you like Patricia C. Wrede, Susan Cooper or any sci-fantasy, fantasy, So You Want To Be A Wizard is the perfect book for you.
This book is one where you can take your time reading it leisurely. Let yourself be absorbed in Duane's world of magic and fantasy. You will find [if you ever rate it] that it'll be five star. That's how well Diane Duane writes! Enjoy!

good readable story. One could reasonably read a half chapter a night for a tween, or even a young teen. Reading for children is a fantastic way to improve a child's skills, one does need good books, and this is a good book, if a bit dark in places. That's appropriate- children know what darkness is, they need stories on how to master it, and fill it with light.

A recently reread the first three books of this series for at least the third time. I still remeber the first time I read them as a "reading vacation" looking for something very light, I thought it a YA book, and I guess you can read it that way, at least the first one, but... The underlying metaphor can get very deep, engrossingn and thought provocing. A great story. I thoughouly enjoy these books!

Thirteen year old Nita Callahan is perfectly ordinary, until she is chased by a pack of bullies. She runs into the local library and in the Children's Section. Nita lets her fingers browsers through old familiar books she had read before until she came across the 'So You Want to Be a....' series. Her suddenly caught the name 'So You Want To Be A Wizard'! She borrows it and reads it at home "This has to be a joke." Nita says. But on her way home Joanne and her group [the bullies] beat her up.
Nita walks home, feeling sore and tired, but finishes the book. She finished the book and thinks she can do all these spells to stop Joanne from beating her up. She reads the oath aloud, but nothing happens. The next day she figures out she's a wizard, when she was walking to school she hears a tree talking to her.
Nita, her new wizard friend Kit and Fred, a white hole, go 1st to Manhatten where the Lone Power has taken over, to help Fred stop all his emmisions, which are caused by hiccups. But then they are trapped there, where cars tear each other up and helicopters also kill. They are there to find 'The Book Of Night With Moon.' to save Manhatten and the world from the Lone Power or the starsnuffer.
Exciting this book is, full of adventure and mystery. If you like Patricia C. Wrede, Susan Cooper or any sci-fantasy, fantasy, So You Want To Be A Wizard is the perfect book for you.
This book is one where you can take your time reading it leisurely. Let yourself be absorbed in Duane's world of magic and fantasy. You will find [if you ever rate it] that it'll be five star. That's how well Diane Duane writes! Enjoy!

good readable story. One could reasonably read a half chapter a night for a tween, or even a young teen. Reading for children is a fantastic way to improve a child's skills, one does need good books, and this is a good book, if a bit dark in places. That's appropriate- children know what darkness is, they need stories on how to master it, and fill it with light.

A recently reread the first three books of this series for at least the third time. I still remeber the first time I read them as a "reading vacation" looking for something very light, I thought it a YA book, and I guess you can read it that way, at least the first one, but... The underlying metaphor can get very deep, engrossingn and thought provocing. A great story. I thoughouly enjoy these books!

This must be one of the original books concerning young wizards living in the real world. Diane Duane has done a wonderful job portraying every character and event, almost as if it was really happening today. This book is a must read for any fan of SF-F, as is the rest of the series.

It follows Kit and Nita, two pre-teens, who have just discovered their 'manuals', appearing as books entitled 'So You Want to be a Wizard', throughout their first assignment. Unlike Harry Potter, where it is just the world that is trying to be saved, Diane Duane has created a whole universe of characters, who are fighting to stop the death of the universe. Even non-wizards can help in this sense, just by turning lights off when they leave rooms, not leaving taps running, or just by paying bills on time. It is an all inclusive world that everyone feels a part of, because it is so real.

This book, first publised in _1983_, pre-dates all of the 'mainstream' young adult fantasy novels, such as Harry Potter, or the Dark Tower, which have been published in the past few years. Its sequels, Deep Wizardry, High Wizardry, A Wizard Abroard, The Wizard's Dilemma, A Wizard Alone, A Wizard's Holiday, and the upcoming Wizards at War, are all must-reads too.

Well-plotted and with likeable characters, falls into the great tradition of "ordinary kids in the real world suddenly enounter magic" exemplified by Nesbit, Eager, and Cooper. In this case, Nita and Kit must *learn* to use their magic -- it doesn't come free -- which makes the story seem even more real. This whole series, and the following one centered on cats who are also wizards, is a good way to bridge from kids' magic stories to adult fantasy.

This is an amazing book, first in an amazing series. The war between the Powers well depicts a godly argument, and the integration between magic and modern is excellent. The magic language and the spells are great, except I would like to see a little more variety in magical methods. Still, this is the first book I read that made me truly tolerate a magic system where spells required so many RUNES! Oh well. This book is excellent, all in all. It makes me want to become a wizard myself. I can see what the characters see and feel what they feel. This is one of the books that made me decide to become an author. One of my favorite parts is the office scene with the Lone Power where they make being omnipotent seem run-of-the-mill. I especially like the strange typist. I will never forget Fred. I have recommended this book to lots of friends, and now I recommend it to you. You must read it!

Really good so far! Perfectly paced, and excellent characters. Nita is the perfect wizard. Kit is just suited for Nita, and excellent power balance. For some reason, whenever a book has a super-overpowered character, it just ruins the whole book for me. Really looking forward to the next book, Deep Magic.

This book is very interesting. I would recommend it to people who enjoy books such as Harry Potter, The Circle of Magic, or The Hobbit. If you find these books are not your style, this is not for you!! I think this is a fun book to read, but I do not enjoy the, I think, long and often hard to follow. This book is not for kids under 7!!

The thing that I most enjoyed about this great book was the approach it took to magic. It didn't have people muttering odd words and have things suddenly start happening. All of the magic was totally "scientific". It approached magic as a science, not an unexplained phenomenon. The first book (So You Want to be a Wizard) was definetly the best, but also the most frighteningly scary. It was utterly freaky when Nita and Kit were in the alternate Manhattan.

This book is a far step more advanced and original than any of the new Harry Potter-type fantasy books. It brings you into new universes that only Diane Duane's books could unleash to the world. I bought this book yesterday and finished it already after reading vigorously for the past day and night, this is a book that once you open you won't be closing until you've read every last word. It keeps you on the edge of your seat with the out of this world thrills and adventures of Kit and Nita. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!
Also, if you plan on buying this book I would suggest the 20th Anniversary Hardcover edition, as the cover illustrations are gorgeous and who can resist a good hardbound fantasy book?

I am now over twenty, but can clearly remember reading this in my preteen years. I am now a Computer Science major, and my road to be interesting as a person, and to being a geek, was helped, or even started, by this book. Ms. Duane's beautifully crafted story is perfect for young people, in that it inspires and makes you wonder, and leaves some of the more serious issues that often come with this genre for a later age. If you have a niece, nephew, son, or daughter interested in reading fantasy, I highly recommend this book as a gentle introduction into this genre.

This book was very suspensful. I liked Kit Nita and most of all Fred! The things that happen in this book are very well described and real.Please email me for any questions about the book or if you finished on what to read next.

This books details the new wizard nita and her newfound friend kit on an adventure through time and worlds. Although this is an awesome book, and the second one is just as good, i found the third and fourth a tad on the dull side. Diane Duane, in my opinion, needs to introduce a few more lasting characters, instead of using the same exact people she began with and only a few new arrivals. You shoudl still read then, though, because they set your mind racing.