Reviewed May 6, 2003.
Harcourt, Orlando, 2003.  134 pages.
Available at Sembach Library (J MCN F VAN).
A Sonderbooks’ Stand-out of 2003:  #4, Children's Fantasy

Here’s another light-hearted fairy tale style story.  A young wizard is on vacation for the summer.  He hopes to relax and take it easy, but people keep turning to him for help.  There are princesses to rescue, young hooligan unicorns to stop, and a ghost to banish from a castle.  Each episode has something unexpected, and many of the adventures show us the “truth” behind some famous fairy tale.

This book is as fun as Gail Carson Levine’s Princess Tales, with the extra advantage that the title won’t scare off boys.  This book would be an excellent family read-aloud, since it would appeal to a wide range of ages.  Be sure not to expect anything serious, though!

Other reviews of books by Vivian Vande Velde:
User Unfriendly
Heir Apparent
The Rumpelstiltskin Problem
Three Good Deeds
A Hidden Magic
A Well-Timed Enchantment
Dragon's Bait

Copyright © 2003 Sondra Eklund.  All rights reserved.

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