Kit and Nita return to join forces against the evil Lone Power, this time over the heart and mind of a young autistic, in Diane Duane's sixth installment of the Young Wizards series. Initially, Kit finds himself flying solo as Nita has sunk into a deep depression over her mother's recent death. Luckily, his telepathic pooch, Ponch, is happy to fill Nita's niche temporarily, as long as biscuits are involved. Kit tries to understand why autistic wizard-in-training Darryl McAllister has been stuck in his Ordeal, or initiation, for over three months. Is it merely the fault of his autism? Inside Darryl's mind, Kit and Ponch find complex landscapes of weird beauty that belie Darryl's rocking, vacant exterior. But they also find the Lone Power, attacking Darryl with an unrelenting brutality that is excessive, even for the Source of all Evil. Meanwhile, Nita is distracted from her sadness by trying to discover the meaning of a series of strange dreams in which a being is pleading for her aid. Could the dreams be a call for help from Darryl? And if so, will Kit and Nita come together in time to destroy the Lone Power before it destroys them?

Though a novice to the series would definitely benefit from reading the previous books, Duane's latest mix of science and spell casting is thought provoking in its own right. She slips enough facts into this fiction to ensure that young readers will not only enjoy the quest, but also learn something along the way. (Ages 10 to 15) --Jennifer Hubert


From School Library Journal
Grade 6-8-Kit Rodriguez is having a rough time. His family's new DVD player and remote control are too busy yelling obscenities at each other to work the TV, and his dog is asking his mother questions about the meaning of life. Even worse, his best friend and partner in wizardry, Nita, grieving over her mother's death, shuts him out emotionally and telepathically. To top it off, Kit has just been sent on an assignment to see why a new wizard's initial Ordeal is taking so long. Upon investigation, he finds that Darryl, an autistic boy of about 11, has the ability to create complex worlds that can contain the Lone Power, but he cannot seem to end his Ordeal, and Kit and his dog must risk their lives and enter Darryl's world to save him. Finally, when Nita realizes that they might be trapped there forever, she is able to put aside her grief and help them. This sixth book in the series covers a lot of ground. Readers who haven't read the previous books may be a little lost at first, but Duane's characters and plot will quickly draw them in. The scenes between Kit and the electronics are hysterical. The incorporation of Darryl's autism is seamless and drives the plot forward. This book belongs in all libraries that have the earlier titles in the series; those that don't may want to consider buying them so they can justify adding this one.Lisa Prolman, Greenfield Public Library, MACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Gr. 6-10. Even readers who have not followed Nita and Kit through five previous adventures will find this a fine fantasy. Duane expertly weaves in how the teens have explained their calling to their families and integrated wizard training into urban teen life. This tale is full of dark textures and the title resonates: Nita is grieving for her mother, who has recently died; Kit misses Nita's friendship and support as she turns inward; both of them are attempting to assist a young wizard who is autistic and has vanished on his Ordeal. Duane's homely magic is beautifully and fully imagined: Nita keeps some of her spells in charms on a bracelet; Kit has a buddy relationship with his dog Ponch, whose language he understands. Musings about serious subjects are an integral part of the story, but Duane's humor and her gift for the offhand quip never falter. The constellation of family and mentors around Nita and Kit are fully visible, from annoying younger sisters (also wizards-in-training) to a therapist who understands more than Nita suspects. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book 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. Now Kit and his dog, Ponch, must track down the missing boy before the Lone Power finds him.



About the Author
DIANE DUANE is the author of more than twenty science fiction and fantasy novels, including the seven books in the Young Wizards series. She lives in rural Ireland.

ANNOTATION

While Nita mourns her mother's death, teenage wizard Kit and his dog Ponch set out to find a young autistic boy who vanished in the middle of his Ordeal, pursued by the Lone Power.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

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. Now Kit and his dog, Ponch, must track down the missing boy before the Lone Power finds him.

SYNOPSIS

The sixth book in Diane Duane's best selling Young Wizards series--now in paperback!

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature

Kit is a wizard sent on a mission to help another potential wizard through his "Ordeal," but this new wizard is an eleven-year-old autistic boy, Darryl. With his faithful dog, Ponch, Kit ventures into Darryl's mind and finds him playing an endless game of keeping the Lone Power trapped and, thereby, trapping himself in the process. Nita, also a wizard, has been out of the loop and trapped in her own grief due to her mother's recent death. Darryl comes to her in a dream appearing as a toy clown and robot, and Nita doesn't recognize him at first. Kit, meanwhile, loses more of himself as he continues to find a way to help Darryl. Nita realizes she must get out of her gloom and follow him into the labyrinth of Darryl's mind. By convincing Darryl he can do greater good by not trapping the Lone Power and himself forever, and that he has passed his Ordeal, he comes out of his autism and starts the path to wizardry. This is the sixth book in the "Young Wizards" series. 2002, Harcourt, Rose

VOYA - Betsy Fraser

Nita and Kit, the juvenile wizards at the center of the Young Wizards series, find themselves dealing with their own problems. Nita, depressed over her mother's recent death, is startled by a series of strange dreams featuring a call for help from clowns or robots. While Nita is thus occupied, Kit is sent on a mission of his own to discover why Darryl McAllister, a child undergoing the ordeal to become a full-fledged wizard, has taken more than three months to complete his task. Surprised to find that Darryl is autistic, Kit is stunned when he and his dog, Ponch, travel inside Darryl's mind and find not only Darryl but also the Lone Power himself. Kit and Ponch are almost undone by the brutality with which the Lone Power is attacking Darryl and are determined to save him. Nita's dreams lead her to an understanding about Darryl's situation, but with very little time left to save Kit, Ponch, and Darryl. Readers of the series will delight in the details of magic, characterization, and continuing developments in Nita and Kit's world. Duane's explanations for the properties of magic and its workings will charm new readers in a wonderful fantasy that marries magic and wizardry with the natural world and the rules that all its denizens must follow. VOYA Codes: 5Q 4P M J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2002, Harcourt, 416p,

KLIATT - Donna Scanlon

At the beginning of this installment in the Young Wizards series, Nita is mourning the recent death of her mother and is putting most of her energy into holding herself and the rest of her family together. Kit and his faithful dog Ponch take on a new assignment, tracking a newly awakened wizard named Darryl who has been on his Ordeal for three months and who seems to be the particular target of the Lone Power. Upon investigation, Kit discovers that Daryl is autistic, and it would appear that his mind is off on the Ordeal. Also, Kit discovers that Daryl can appear to be in two places at once, infinitely frustrating to the Lone Power. Nita is drawn into the task as well, and both young wizards must use all their resources to help Daryl once they understand just why the Lone Power is pursuing him. Duane takes her story and her audience seriously without getting in the way of narrative or characters or making the plot drag. The complex plot is tightly knit with touches of humor to leaven it, and Nita and Kit continue to develop. As the parent of a child with high-functioning autism, I'm not crazy about the plot device of Darryl's autism, which is suddenly "cured" in the end. Other than that, though, this is a smoothly written, engrossing addition to the Young Wizards series. KLIATT Codes: JS-Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2002, Harcourt, Magic Carpet, 333p., Ages 12 to 18.

School Library Journal