Rating: 
Summary: A Good Story, But...
Review: My daughter and I read "Wizard's Hall" together. She likes Harry Potter a lot and I must admit that I find the Potter books entertaining, too. But we had already read all the Harry Potter books available to date and were looking for something to fill the void. "Wizard's Hall" is about a boy named Henry who becomes the 113th student at a training school for young wizards. He isn't a very promising student. His curses don't work quite right, and his spell chanting is off a tone. But his mother had taught him to keep trying and that lesson serves him well. He also discovers that the school is threatened by a fierce monster, and it turns out that it is up to him to save it.Some reviewers here have said that "Wizard's Hall" is better than the Harry Potter stories. Sorry, but not so. This is a good story and it is well written, but neither the story line nor the characterers are anywhere near as well developed as those in the Potter series. My daughter's comment was that she liked this book, but it was short. This isn't meant as a criticism. "Wizard's Hall" is a clever and interesting story and stands very well on its own. We recommend it. Just don't expect another Harry Potter, because it simply doesn't have that kind of depth. Four stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Same level as Potter? I think not.
Review: Now, I have read Jane Yolen stories before, and they are usually good...so this one suprised me. It seemed as if Yolen was given an estimate of how many pages she was allowed to use, when her basic plot for herself took about 150 pages. The story seemed empty, but with much potential. I just don't see how this book is put in so many 'If you like Potter' sections of book stores. It just wasn't as good as I expected it to be. I also found it darker then it had to be. If this book was longer, it would have been much better, and probably more popular.
Rating: 
Summary: Ten times better than Harry Potter!
Review: One of the most magical books I've ever read! Though not as well-known or as generally well-liked as Harry Potter, I believe this book is superior. Its prose and descriptions are lyrical and beautiful, and the hero is endearingly insecure. Henry is sent to "Wizard's Hall" by his mother, to become a wizard. Renamed "Thornmallow" (prickly on the outside, squishy inside), he soon makes a name for himself--he swamps a classroom in snow, inadvertantly yells during an orientation speech, and so on. But he soon discovers that he is one of 113 students, who are there to defeat the evil wizard Nettle and his enormous Beast. But Thornmallow doesn't think he can do it. This is a shorter but much more INTENSE book than most wizardly tales. Its shortness is made up for by the sheer magic of Wizard's Hall--moving pictures, lizards swimming in the soup (which can be changed by older students), and the constellation ceiling that talks! I love Thornmallow, he's so HUMAN. Who among us hasn't completely embarrassed themselves in front of a room of people? Or botched up something over and over? I also love his friends Gorse and Tansy (yeah, everyone has plant names) and the teachers. Not to mention Doctor Mo (PRICELESS! Simply priceless) Read the book! You will NOT be disappointed...
Rating:
Summary: A Fantasy for readers interested in MAGIC and WIZARDRY!
Review: This book is a little like the Harry Potter books but not as long. It is interesting, exciting, fun, and a little creepy. As the 113th student enrolled in the Wizard's Hall young Henry (also called Thornmallow) has to defeat a magical patchwork beast and it's master. Will he be able to do it? It is a VERY good book, take my word for it!
Rating:
Summary: An A+ book...
Review: This book was first introduced to me in my 6th grade class. We were assigned to read this book and the first installment of Harry Potter. While everybody started to read the Harry Potter book because there was a big hype around it, I chose to start with Wizard's Hall because it was shorter. When I read it I couldn't compare it to anything because I hadn't read Harry Potter, so I started reading it with a fresh mind. Wow, I thought this book was really something special and I could relate to it. It was very original and I liked the adventures that Henry encountered. I was so enthralled with the book that i read it in 2 days. Afterwords I started reading Harry Potter and I was confused, the stories were strikingly similar. I enjoyed Harry Potter, but it didn't have that special charm I got when reading Wizard's Hall. In the end my teacher made the class write an essay about comparing the two books and also state which one was more original and interesting. Everybody else wrote that Harry Potter was original and that Wizard's Hall was boring and the same as Harry Potter, but I wrote how Wizard's Hall was actually written BEFORE Harry Potter and that it was way more original and interesting for it's time. I was the ONLY person in my class to get an A+ on my essay :).
Rating: 
Summary: Good premise, but lags somewhat
Review: This Harry Potter-esque book does have a pretty good plot, I'll give you that. It also has some interesting, funny, fast-paced parts with good dialogue. Unfortunately, I found that it lagged in many places, as Yolen's books tend to do. I often found myself skipping pages or putting the book down after readng 1-2 pages because I was bored. If you ordinarily enjoy Jane Yolen, then you would probably like this, otherwise I would pass.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Book for Anyone who likes Magic
Review: This is a really cool book for any kid (or grownup!) who likes magic. It is a LOT like Harry Potter, except with some more original twists. The only problem with this book, is it seems as if the part in the book where the boy is being introduced to Wizard's Hall to the big disaster scene where a monster of some sorts tries to eat everyone and the boy saves them. It goes right from the beggining to the end! Otherwise, this book is a really good book. It is creative and imaginative and so people of all ages like it. (If you read carefully, there are a few puns in it too!)
Rating: 
Summary: Awesome!
Review: This is a wonderful book. It is short but has an awesome plot and awesome twists and turns. I garuntee you'll love it as long as you like fantasy. If your more interested in books without Evil wizards, a wizard school, spells, or certain halls for boys and certain halls for girls, I wouldn't read it. Have fun!
Rating:
Summary: Cute
Review: This is very hard to do, but I will tell you about Wizard's Hall now WITHOUT comparing it to Harry Potter (*gasp*). This book is very short, but the story is well-developed for the time span of the book. If the characters, especially the Magisters, are a little under-developed, that is because the main character, Henry, hasn't had much time to get to know them anyway. Very soon after finding himself in the famous Wizard's Hall, an interesting, bizarre school for young people wanting to become wizards (or witches), our main character finds out about a plot for the ruin of the Hall, kept secret by the teachers. Only he, blundering and seemingly un-magical, can save the school. To calm himself, Henry always remembers things that his Mama told him, or thought about his cow--the only two things in his life before he went to school. The meaning of his school-name, Thornmallow, is repeated a little too often (prickly on the outside, squishy within) but by the end you see why. Heartwarming, simple, and enjoyable, but, like all Yolen's books (eg: Dragon Blood, etc) ends almost TOO early, and leaves you unsatisfied! Not necesarily a bad thing...
Rating:
Summary: Wizards Hall
Review: This story is about an 11-year-old boy, Henry, whose mother sends him to wizard camp. Overall he is not a very good wizard but he tries very hard to become a good wizard. All the kids at Wizard's Hall give him the nickname Thornmallow-prickly on the outside and squishy on the inside. However, Henry does seem to make many friends. As it turns out, he is special because he is the 113th student to enroll in Wizard's Hall. Being the 113th makes him important because it is now his responsibility to save Wizard's Hall from the evil "magister" and his monster dragon. Special Note For teachers: This is a very good book to show students how trying hard does pay off in the end. I think most students will enjoy reading Wizard's Hall because it has a lot of imagery and the whole magical aspect of it is good at holding a child's attention. Also at 133 pages it is a quick read. On A Personal Note: I really enjoyed reading the book. It will be on the bookshelf in my classroom
|
