Book Review: Wizard for Hire by Obert Skye

Wizard for Hire by Obert Skye is a young adult novel. Fourteen-year-old Ozzy lives near Portland, Oregon, and is desperate for help. His scientist parents have been kidnapped and he has been on his own since he was seven. Ozzy is afraid to go to the police, but without help, he fears he'll never find his parents. Then he stumbles across a classified ad in the local newspaper that says "Wizard for Hire. Call 555-SPEL." Ozzy has read about wizards in books like Harry Potter, but wizards couldn't actually exist today, could they? After Ozzy meets the wizard Labyrinth--aka Rin--he's even more skeptical. With the help of a robotic-talking raven invented by Ozzy's father, a kind and curious girl at school who decides to help Ozzy, and, of course, a self-proclaimed wizard who may or may not have a magical wand, Ozzy begins an unforgettable quest that will lead him closer to the answers he desperately seeks about his missing parents.

Wizard for Hire is and great read for young adults, and some middle grade readers. The story opens with Ozzy at seven, just after his family has moved to the cloaked house in the woods from New York City. HIs adjustment and the kidnapping of his parents are the way readers to to know and understand Ozzy. For seven years Ozzy just survives- but reading fiction, the discovery of the mechanical bird, and starting to explore the world has lead Ozzy to want to understand more about the outside world, and start the hunt for his missing parents. Sigi, the only kid at school that seems willing to get to know him, and later the "wizard" Rin are the only people that seem more willing to get to know him and look beyond his oddities. I love the ambiguity about magic and Rin's abilities, or lack thereof. He does things that seem impossible, but could just be luck. Through the entire book readers are left wondering if the magic is real, or if Rin just had a breakdown and is just a little different now. I enjoyed the journey of Ozzy and friends as they seek more information on his parents, and how things often go a little sideways, but rarely completely wrong. I also like that the story is a great adventure with significant emotional growth and challenges for all of the characters. I enjoyed the journey with Ozzy as a slightly unreliable narrator, since he rarely looked deeper than the surface or payed attention to things that stuck out to me as important.  I greatly enjoyed the ride, and am hoping that this turns into aa new series, or that some of the characters pop up in another story from the author in the near future. It was also just a fun, enjoyable read that I did not want to end.

Wizard for Hire is a fun, quirky read that also has significant character growth and development. I would love to continue this story with more about Ozzy, Rin, and Sigi.

Book Review: A Friendly Town That's Almost Always by the Ocean (Secrets of Topsea) by Kir Fox, M. Shelley Coats, Rachel Sanson

A Friendly Town That's Almost Always by the Ocean is a middle grade novel written by Kir Fox, M. Shelley Coats. It was illustrated by Rachel Sanson. In Topsea the coves are bottomless and the pier has no end in sight. There's a high tide and a low tide and a vanishing tide. Dogs are a myth, but mermaids are totally real. And seaweed is the main ingredient in every meal-watch out, it might just start chewing you back!

New kid Davy definitely thinks Topsea is strange. His mom keeps saying they'll get used to life in their new town-it's just the way things are on the coast! But after his first day at Topsea School, Davy finds himself wondering: Why is his locker all the way at the bottom of the school swimming pool? Why can't anyone remember his name? (It's Davy!) And why does everyone act like all of this is normal?! Through newspaper articles, stories, surveys, notifications, and more, follow Davy and the rest of Ms. Grimalkin's fifth grade class through the weird world of Topsea. (Whatever you do, don't make eye contact with the rubber ducks.)

A Friendly Town That's Almost Always by the Ocean is a story that is not only about a very strange town, and the unusual activity in it. It is also about finding your interests and yourself. I like that Davy seems like a perfectly normal boy, just trying to deal with all the recent changes in his life and move forward. He needs to deal with the loss of his father, and moving to a new town- something that many will be able to relate to in one way or another. However, to make settling in a bit harder the town and school are more than a little odd. A school locker at the bottom of the swimming pool, creepy cats, odd classes, and dogs being a myth are only the start of the oddities. Normal problems like being heard when you are small and friends with bigger personalities, being believed when you like to exaggerate, and other friendship dynamics are all within the pages as well. The balance of mundane and ridiculous keep the story fun and forward moving while still getting to the heart of the matter with fitting in and friendships. The artwork adds an extra layer of fun and details to the story, engaging readers even further in the story. I think this will be a great read, and think it might appeal to struggling or reluctant readers as well as more advanced readers.

A Friendly Town That's Almost Always by the Ocean is a fun and quirky read. I enjoyed the odd little town and unique characters. I think I need to explore this series further.