The Evil Wizard Smallbone Author:Delia Sherman ?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 gua... more »rdian, 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.« less