The Evil Wizard Smallbone

October 3, 2016
After 12-year-old Nick Reynaud flees his abusive uncle, he's taken on as an apprentice by the wizard Zachariah Smallbone, who lives in the secluded, electronics-free Maine town of Smallbone Cove. Instead of being taught magic, Nick winds up managing the wizard's bookstore, cooking his meals, and trying to avoid getting turned into a spider (again). With the help of the store's books, Nick begins to harness his own powers, just as the seal-people his master has sworn to protect are threatened by the shape-shifting wolf wizard Fidelou. In an imaginative contemporary landscape of magical pelts and powerful tomes, Sherman (The Freedom Maze) delivers a cast of richly developed characters, though their backstories, as well as the magical history of Smallbone Cove, remain somewhat vague. Instead, the narrative focuses primarily on Nick's character growth as it builds to a climactic clash between wizards. Themes that include the importance of self-confidence and self-knowledge, as well as the power of appearances and of reading, should resonate with a broad range of readers. Ages 8â12. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

August 1, 2016

Gr 3-7-Runaway Nick intends to stay only long enough for a hot meal and a night's rest before moving on, but the Evil Wizard Smallbone-and his bookstore-have other plans. ("You knocked on the door and you asked for shelter. Well, you got it. And now Evil Wizard Books has got you.") Agreeing to apprentice for the evil wizard, Nick finds himself facing the daily threat of being turned into something unpleasant. But despite his time spent in various forms (spider, rock, rat), Nick manages to befriend the enigmatic bookstore, save some enchanted animals, and even pick up a little magic here and there. Unfortunately his precarious peace is threatened by Smallbone's maniacal nemesis, the werewolf Fidelou, a wizard of great power and few scruples. Fidelou wants to claim Smallbone's lands and destroy him once and for all. Can Nick find the power to stop Fidelou? Or will he be turned into a helpless slug? Or worse? Sherman's tale takes place in the present in a sleepy Maine seaside town. The plot unfolds easily, and though a fantasy, it's not over-the-top for fans of realistic fiction. The characters are well-developed, especially Nick, who learns to value self-knowledge. Avid readers will enjoy Sherman's nods to other literary works, and reluctant readers will find themselves immersed in the tale. VERDICT Recommended for fans of Harry Potter, this story will captivate older readers while remaining accessible to younger ones. Recommended as a first purchase.-Rose Garrett, Cliff Valley School, Atlanta, GA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 15, 2016
It is an enduring, unforgiving Maine winter when 12-year-old runaway Nick Reynaud seeks shelter on a frigid night by knocking on the door of small-town evil wizard Zachariah Smallbone.When the evil wizard makes it known that he intends to hold Nick captive as his minion, Nick at first regrets his decision to run away from his abusive uncle and cousin. After completing his daily duties as the wizard's farmhand and housekeeper, Nick secretly explores the wizard's bookshop. It is there that hilarious exchanges between Nick and the snarky magic books (whose conversations with him are rather like text messages) help him (and readers) move beyond the fact that he has been kidnapped by a cranky old man. Lurking about in the Maine woods is the arrogant, shape-shifting French werewolf wizard Fidelou, who wishes to conquer the quirky small town (sort of a cross between quaint coastal village and Hogsmeade) that has been ruled by the wizard Smallbone for centuries. Though Fidelou and his crew of biker werewolf minions add some dramatic distraction, it is Nick's evolution into a young wizard that commands attention. Readers journey with Nick as he stumbles through what was real in his world, his grief at losing his mother, into a magical world that gives him a sense of purpose. Fans of fantasy will be captivated--and hoping for a sequel. (Fantasy. 9-13)

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January 1, 2017
Runaway Nick Reynaud seeks shelter at Evil Wizard Books in Smallbone Cove, Maine. Proprietor Zachariah Smallbone declares that Nick will be his new apprentice and turns Nick into a spider when he disagrees. Back in human form, Nick searches the bookstore to learn enough magic to protect himself. Meanwhile, something strange is going on in town. Well-timed revelations feed the mystery, and all is satisfyingly resolved.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 1, 2016
Twelve-year-old Nick Reynaud, a runaway escaping his abusive uncle and cousin, seeks shelter at Evil Wizard Books in Smallbone Cove, Maine. The proprietor, Zachariah Smallbone, declares that Nick will be his new apprentice, and when Nick disagrees, the wizard turns him into a spider. Back in human form, Nick looks to the bookstore for help learning enough magic to protect himself from Smallbone's shape-shifting whims. At the same time, something strange is going on in Smallbone Cove. Despite a protection compact with Smallbone, the town is being harassed by a biker gang called the Howling Coyotes, and the wizard's sentries (the Lantern, the Wall, the Stream) are losing their power to keep out Fidelou, Smallbone's evil-wizard rival. Much of the story's momentum comes from Nick's efforts to teach himself magic as he grows along the way from a snarky and self-interested character into someone who takes responsibility for others, including Smallbone's previous apprentices. Well-timed revelations about the townspeople's origins also feed the ongoing mystery, which includes the apparent contradiction between Smallbone's evil wizard moniker and his periodic eruptions of decency -- but by the end, even this is resolved, in a way that will satisfy wizardly apprentices and readers alike. anita l. burkam

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)