From School Library Journal
Grade 6-9-In this audio rendition of Diane Duane's sixth adventure in the Young Wizards series (Harcourt, 2002), Kit is assigned to a lost wizard-in-training named Darryl, whose autism is making locating and communicating with him nearly impossible. Darryl went missing nearly three months after his orientation period, or Ordeal, should have ended. Kit is convinced the evil "Lone Power" is responsible for the disappearance and partners with his telepathic canine, Ponch, to search for the wizard-to-be. Best friend Nita takes a backseat in the beginning of this story, still grieving over the loss of her mother in a previous volume. Actress Christina Moore's voice convincingly captures the boyish young Kit, and the sorrow in Nina and Ponch's simple-minded but commonsensical thoughts. The humor of Kit's family trying to cope with the gibberish of the bickering remote control and DVD player contrasts with the anguish Darryl experiences in his own universe trying to communicate through his autism. Moore's firm voice and careful pausing makes listeners aware of the emotion involved in this misunderstood disorder, as when Darryl feels "the pain of another person's regard." Nita's voice becomes stronger as she channels her anger to stand up to the Lone One in a cathartic move that also mirrors real life. While not a fast-paced adventure, this psychologically driven fantasy is rich with feeling and empathy. Libraries that have the earlier titles will definitely want to consider this one.
Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NYCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Product Description
While Nita grieves over her mother's death, Kit tackles a challenge as dangerous as it is strange: Rescue a young wizard who has vanished on his first assignment. This new wizard is unlike any other--he's autistic and he's a magical prodigy. His power is enormous.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
