The Evil Wizard Smallbone

“Sherman captures perfectly the slow transition of a kid steeped in grief and misery to a boy who is slowly starting to trust, love, and hope again.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

When twelve-year-old Nick runs away in the middle of a blizzard, he stumbles onto a very opinionated bookstore. He also meets its guardian, the self-proclaimed Evil Wizard Smallbone, who calls Nick his apprentice and won’t let him leave, but won’t teach him magic, either. It’s a good thing the bookstore takes Nick’s magical education in hand, because Smallbone’s nemesis — the Evil Wizard Fidelou — and his pack of shape-shifting bikers are howling at the borders. Smallbone might call himself evil, but compared to Fidelou, he’s practically a puppy. And he can’t handle Fidelou alone.

Delia Sherman is the author of numerous books and short stories for adults and children, including The Freedom Maze and “The Ghost of Cwmlech Manor” in Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories. She also enjoys teaching writing workshops. Delia Sherman lives in New York City with her wife.