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Summary: so u want to be.....
Review: this is a really cool book about a girl and her journey through the use of magics. the only downside is it kind of drags on, so if u like really fast pased book...i don't suggest it.
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Summary: Wonderful fantasy for children or young adults
Review: I first read So You Want to Be a Wizard as part of a single hardback trilogy, which included the next two stories in the series: Deep Wizardry and High Wizardry. Duane appears to write about what she is interested in; astronomy, paleontology, reading, cars, pop music, and other bookish pursuits that [nerds] will adore (this reviewer is a self-professed [nerd]). I absolutely loved the first three books and still pick up books by Duane when I see them, even though I am somewhat over the targeted reading age by now! Much of this book involves complicated discussions of physics and the Earth's place in the solar system, so if you're looking for easy-reading Harry Potter, this ain't it.
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Summary: bla
Review: I thought that this book was just kind of boring. The part with the white dwarf star that was hicoughing up all sorts of things was the only funny part, and the rest was just wierd and dumb.
Contrary to one of the other reveiwers, the book was so much worse than Harry Potter.
Rating:
Summary: So You want to be a Wizard
Review: If you like to dream about having magical powers, if you find it impossible to put books about magic down, and if you want something believable, this book is for you! In this book, you meet Nita being chased by a gang of classmates who want to beat her up. Hiding in the library, she discovers a book full of directions for magic. First thinking it's a joke, she takes the wizard's Oath-
-and hears a tree talk to her.
-and learns about the wizard's job to slow down the death of the Universe.-and reads about spells of all kinds and creatures of all kinds.
Nita, on information from the tree, finds Kit, her future partner, and helps him with a spell which produces Fred, a white hole, and a whole lot of trouble. Together, Nita and Kit plunge into an alternate Manhattan where they face off with the Lone Power, the one who created death and was cast out for it, and retrieve a Book, the Book of Night With Moon, which holds descriptions of everything in the universe. And this is their Ordeal, the test that every wizard must pass to come into full power. Follow Nita and Kit through this dangerous test of power. I liked this book because it is so believable. Nita and Kit are so ordinary that it is easy to imagine yourself as being right there with them. They're not perfect. You can easily relate to their lives. In addition, this book carries a great deal of action, adventure, and wizardry, right here in the U.S.A.
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Summary: Engaging and thoroughly enjoyable.
Review: I stumbled upon this book by chance in my local... store, bought it on a whim, and took it home to read. Barely a chapter into it, I was thoroughly engrossed. I read the entire book that afternoon. 'So You Want to Be a Wizard' introduces us to Nita Cahallan, who was an ordinary kid tormented by bullies until she found a book with the aforementioned title in the library. Astonished, Nita takes the book home and begins to read. The book tells her all about what entails being a wizard, and Nita takes the Wizards' Oath, becoming one herself. The next day she meets Kit Rodriguez, another novice wizard. The two begin working together, and soon become caught up in their ordeal, a climatic battle against the Lone Power. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has echoes of Susan Cooper with the whole "climactic battle with evil" theme, and at the same time has its own very distinct charm. Read this book, and the ones that come after it. I promise you won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: For the 9-12-year-olds, not higher
Review: This book is the first in a series about a girl named Nita and a boy named Kit, and their struggles, experiments, and interesting discoveries towards becoming wizards.
I must say, however, that I didn't like it very much. The book is nice in and on itself, but this time the suggested age (9-12) actually fits! Usually I don't pay any attention to that sort of thing, but around 120 pages in the book (after forcing myself to read that far) I simply could not turn another page and still respect myself, even though I had told myself I must finish it. I wasn't even interested in the ending. I see the entire book as quite predictable and possibly a bit too childish, but maybe 9-12-year-olds will like it better.
So, in conclusion, if you're above 12, don't buy it.
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Summary: This book rocked!
Review: I loved this book! I read it because I was looking for something to read while waiting for Harry Potter 5, and I spotted this book in the library. I took it out, read it, and loved it! It was really cool in all of its sciency ideas, and I just couldn't put it down! I would recommend this book to any fantasy readers.
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Summary: Wonderful Wizards BEFORE Harry Potter!
Review: History: When I was 12 my dad received books in a book club. One day he brought me the latest book, thinking that I might be more interested in it than he would. It was called Support Your Local Wizard. I was interested so I accepted. I'd always liked the idea of magic so this sounded like fun. The book was thick, but I discovered it was three books in one as book club editions often are. This held the first three books of Diane Duane's Young Wizard series. At the time they were the only ones in the series, but since then she has written three more and probably won't stop there. The first three books are So You Want to Be a Wizard, Deep Wizardry, and High Wizardry. This review is of course on the first book. Plot and Characters: I started the book right then and there, sitting in the back seat of the car while my parents ran errands. The book started at a dead run. Literally. We meet our heroin, Nita as she's running from some bullies. The girls chase her through several streets of her suburban New York town. She takes refuge in the local library where she reminisces in the children's section over many books that kept her company during her young childhood. (This caught me right off the bat, as it reminded me a lot of myself.) Of course at age 13 it hadn't been too terribly long ago in her lifetime that she had read these books, but long enough. Running her hand down the isle, a book snagged her finger. She pulled the book out and read the cover. So You Want to Be a Wizard. Like those So You Want to Be... a Doctor or Lawyer or Construction Worker or whatever, but this said Wizard. Intrigued and confused, she sat down to read. What she found changed her life. Mind you all this is just the first couple of pages. From here on in we follow Nita as she starts her life as a wizard after saying the magic oath from the book. The oath is absolutely lovely and of course I memorized it and still recite it to this day. Nita meets her magic partner a little while later in the book. His name is Kit and together they find themselves on their wizardly initiation called the Ordeal. This takes them to another dimension and on a mission to save the Universe form the Lone Power who is one of great evil. Along the way they meet Fred, a white hole who looks like a spark of light, but can "eat" objects and emit x-rays which he does on occasion when excited. Of course Nita and Kit try to ask him not to do this, but sometimes it slips out. He also gets a case of the hiccups, causing him to emit objects and the humor of what suddenly appears from his little problem is a lot of fun. The other dimension our characters find themselves in is fascinating with no human occupants, but rather evil creatures such as taxi's that try to eat you or killer helicopters. Note that these aren't really very scary, but more of an imaginative addition to the book that Diane Duane adds and it helps give the characters something to work with. Don't worry about your kids getting scared by reading about these things. Other aspects of the alternate dimension are just very involving and will capture young minds and their imaginations if just given half a chance. I'm still surprised these never made it to a place that they deserve amongst other great literature. Our heroes gain a lot of fun abilities with their magic and the unique talents to understand animals when they talk. Nita grows an affinity to plants and has great conversations with a tree in her backyard while Kit starts talking to cars and trains. The finesse by which magic works in these books is one of my favorite parts. In the Harry Potter novels the magic seems very artificial, you do a spell and something happens. Sure the same thing goes in this world, but here there's more of a need to talk to whatever you are trying to change to ask it to change, rather than telling it to. You can't just make a hole appear in a glass pane, you have to ask it to relax and let go of its current need to stick together. Remind it of how nice it was when it was just sand and didn't have to stay in any one place all the time. It's a nice way to use the magic and give respect to objects and creatures rather than forcing your will upon everything. Overall: Now the book is definitely written for young readers, but I think readers of any age would enjoy these novels and many other works of hers. This book will captivate readers of any age and it's not just light hearted fun and games. There's real drama and real things to learn, but there's no blatant moral pushed in your face. I would recommend this to anyone with children that enjoy fantasy novels, as well as adults of course. What didn't I like? I could never find anything in the novels written by Diane Duane that I didn't enjoy. My only complaint is that she isn't as prolific as other authors such as Piers Anthony and several of her books go out of print too quickly. I sure hope to see more of her work soon and I hope you give her a chance. :)
Rating: 
Summary: So You Want to Be a Wizard
Review: I thought that this book was a very good book. All of my friends are reading it and they LOVED it! The Book is filled with things that no body would amagin about! As young wizards Nita and Kit do magic they learn that wizardry should not be toyed with just to get get something like a pen. I thought that it was extordinary and that every one should read this facinating book.
Rating:
Summary: So You Want A Good Book?
Review: This book is OK. It is very long. Depending on the reader, the length can be good or bad. I did not like it because, unlike Harry Potter, it is not very funny and you cannot relate to the characters. The book is very serious and deep. While you're reading it, you'll sometimes go "What?!" and have to stop and think about everything. Yes, this book is a fantasy, but that's all it and Harry Potter have in common. If you're looking for a good fantasy book, try the "Chronicles of Narnia" or anything by Gail Carson Levine instead.
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