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gategrrlOkay. HOW did I not know about this series? I'll answer my own question: the first book in Diane Duane's series came out in 1983, the year I graduated from High School (you do the math, k?), and my mind was not on YA books at the time for some obvious reasons.
I found five out of the six books in the series on the paperback rack after I returned the final Harry Potter book. Number two eludes me, but I will prevail. What did I find when I cracked open the first book? A nice take on the Wizard trope by assigning a bullied young girl, Nita, to be the main character. I'm loving the concept of a So You Want to be a Wizard book that only appears to potential Wizards, and changes and updates itself like the internet (only LONG before the internet went www). And the language, and the fact that Wizards are beneficent. There also seems to be a rather (loud) hint that two of the Wizards the kids find are gay...but I'm not 100% sure, but I have the feeling that's what Duane was aiming for.
There's so much to like, there's almost nothing I *dislike* about this first book, "So You Want to be a Wizard". The visuals are nice, too. I can see everything in my minds' eye, and honestly, why has no Hollywood producer bought the options for this book? There is one aspect of the book I find annoying. There's a bully (this time, a blonde girl) who constantly beats up on the heroine to the point she has black eyes, limps and is truly in a lot of pain. I find it amazing that the parents wouldn't take the kid to a hospital, nor check her out more thoroughly than they did (which is to say, not at all). Granted, this is the early 80s, but still...the bullied girl's parents are too laid back about such bullying. And, although I understand the message that forgiveness is good and all, I thought it was a bit much when Nita, the bullied girl turned Wizard, invites the bully to her home after she saves the world.
That's the only nit-pick I have with the book. I do love how it turns the hero trope on its head and makes the boy a girl, in other words, giving the girl the heroes journey, for once, and for real. I'm planning on reading the first half of the first chapter to the Mermaid (my 11 year old sixth grader) and see if she enjoys it. Duane's style rolls off the eyes easily, her language is plain and transparent, and concepts are explained clearly and engagingly and hardly noticably at all.
A bonus is, I think Duane's magical book within her book has helped me out with a dangling plot thread in one of my own stories (the one I'm attempting to rewrite now).
Can't wait to read the next book in the series, but I'll have to skip ahead to number three.
And here's the website for The Young Wizards! Very cool! There are more than 6 books in the series - there are eight and counting!
I found five out of the six books in the series on the paperback rack after I returned the final Harry Potter book. Number two eludes me, but I will prevail. What did I find when I cracked open the first book? A nice take on the Wizard trope by assigning a bullied young girl, Nita, to be the main character. I'm loving the concept of a So You Want to be a Wizard book that only appears to potential Wizards, and changes and updates itself like the internet (only LONG before the internet went www). And the language, and the fact that Wizards are beneficent. There also seems to be a rather (loud) hint that two of the Wizards the kids find are gay...but I'm not 100% sure, but I have the feeling that's what Duane was aiming for.
There's so much to like, there's almost nothing I *dislike* about this first book, "So You Want to be a Wizard". The visuals are nice, too. I can see everything in my minds' eye, and honestly, why has no Hollywood producer bought the options for this book? There is one aspect of the book I find annoying. There's a bully (this time, a blonde girl) who constantly beats up on the heroine to the point she has black eyes, limps and is truly in a lot of pain. I find it amazing that the parents wouldn't take the kid to a hospital, nor check her out more thoroughly than they did (which is to say, not at all). Granted, this is the early 80s, but still...the bullied girl's parents are too laid back about such bullying. And, although I understand the message that forgiveness is good and all, I thought it was a bit much when Nita, the bullied girl turned Wizard, invites the bully to her home after she saves the world.
That's the only nit-pick I have with the book. I do love how it turns the hero trope on its head and makes the boy a girl, in other words, giving the girl the heroes journey, for once, and for real. I'm planning on reading the first half of the first chapter to the Mermaid (my 11 year old sixth grader) and see if she enjoys it. Duane's style rolls off the eyes easily, her language is plain and transparent, and concepts are explained clearly and engagingly and hardly noticably at all.
A bonus is, I think Duane's magical book within her book has helped me out with a dangling plot thread in one of my own stories (the one I'm attempting to rewrite now).
Can't wait to read the next book in the series, but I'll have to skip ahead to number three.
And here's the website for The Young Wizards! Very cool! There are more than 6 books in the series - there are eight and counting!
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Date: 2007-09-23 01:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-23 03:16 pm (UTC)The whole bullying thing is a little much (I don't think even a wizard could be that forgiving), and I'll be interested to hear what you think of Nita's little sister in the next couple of books.
And...oops! I missed the last book in the series. I'll have to order it on Monday for the collection.