Witch & Wizard

 Witch & Wizard

James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonet.

 New York City: Little, Brown and Company, 2009.

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night to government officials demanding to take you and your younger sister into their custody. You also realize that your parents just happened to forget to mention that you are a wizard and your sister is a witch – a fact that you only learn because your sister bursts into flames to try to escape the officers. Now you are locked in a prison (that used to be the psychiatric hospital!) with a sentence of death threatening your future. This would be a complete nightmare for most teenagers, but for Wisteria (Wisty) and Whitford (Whit) Allgood, this is their reality.

Whit and Wisty soon realize that thousands of children and teenagers have been kidnapped, and many others remain missing. Additionally, they are learning about the special gifts that they have as a wizard and a witch. Wisty’s anger leaves her bursting in flames, and even turns an annoying guard into a weasel. Whit searches for his lost love, while trying to protect his younger sister from the evil that threatens their existence every day. Their fate is unknown but the worst is feared. The New Order regime is determined to suppress life and liberty, music and books, art and magic – and for Whit and Wisty – the pursuit of being a normal teenager. Will Whit and Wisty master their skills in time to find a way to escape the prison? Are their parents still alive? Or will the New Order government take away all freedoms to which they had become accustomed?

If you like series like The Hunger Games (by Suzanne Collins), Harry Potter (JK Rowling), Twilight (Stephenie Meyer), or the Uglies (Scott Westerfeld), you will love the Witch & Wizard series by James Patterson. The Witch & Wizard is the first book in a trilogy which includes Witch & Wizard: The Gift (2010) and Witch & Wizard: The Fire (2011). It is classified under Young Adult Fiction, however its well-developed story and underlying themes appeal to all ages. This series is part of James Patterson’s mission to encourage kids to become passionate, literate and inspired readers. Kids say that the main reason that they do not read more is because they cannot find books that they like. The best way to get kids reading is to give them books that they will ‘gobble up’ and want to read more. If they find a series that they like, they will want to finish all of the books to find out how it ends. Additionally, James Patterson’s Young Adult novels flow seamlessly into his numerous adult books.

If you would like to find books that appeal to young adults, try websites such as ReadKiddoRead.com, GuysRead.com (focuses on materials for young males), the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) website or the American Library Association (ALA). Are you still not sure? Come into your local branch of the City of Kawartha Lakes library and talk to a librarian who will help you find books that best suit your individual interest.