It centers on a young boy whose rich enchanter parents mostly ignore him.

This book, originally published in 1988, predated Harry Potter, and also came before other books about wizards in school, like Jane Yolen’s good book Wizard’s Hall. The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones Both books talk about the abuse of power, the importance of empathy and understanding, and the need for justice. And both books mix silly hijinks–like using magic to smuggle a Goddess in another world funny books about schoolchildren, or diving into a swimming pool of chocolate pudding–with more serious subjects. Both involve a hero who has a lot of magical potential and who has the chance to come into a great deal of power. Both books take place in alternate dimensions, and involve travelling between worlds. I’m here today to talk about two books about young magicians which I really like. Even if you just limit yourself to books about child witches and wizards, there’s a lot to sort through. And then there are silly books and movies about wizards and witches, like Wizards of Waverly Place, Halloweentown, Which Witch? or The Worst Witch, where magic is still powerful, but the characters are funnier, and the plot has more to do with resolving conflicts between people and preventing wacky hijinks. There are books about wizards and witches that are very serious, and have lots of brooding people and battles and death–like The Dark Is Rising, I Am Morgan Le Fey, The Chronicles of Narnia, the Young Merlin trilogy, or some of the later Harry Potter books. The books are really different from one another, too. There are a huge range of books about witches, wizards, and magic. It’s almost Halloween, and that means it’s time for what? (pause) Okay, like ghosts, or skeletons, or witches, right?

Wizardmatch by Lauren Magaziner