Wizards Hall, Jane Yolen
Wizards Hall, Jane Yolen
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Wizard's Hall

Author: Jane Yolen

Narrator: Words Take Wing Repertory Co

Unabridged: 2 hr 53 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/09/2010


Synopsis

An inept wizard-in-training is the only one who can save his classmates from the terrible sorcery that threatens to devour their magical school

Acclaimed master fantasist Jane Yolen imagines an academic world of wonders where paintings speak, walls move, monsters are made real, and absolutely anything can happen—as she introduces readers to a hero as hapless as the legendary Merlin is powerful.
 
It was Henry’s dear ma who decided to send him off to Wizard’s Hall to study sorcery, despite the boy’s apparent lack of magical talent. He has barely stepped through the gates of the magnificent school when he is dubbed Thornmallow (“prickly on the outside, squishy within”). Still, regardless of his penchant for turning even the simplest spell into a disaster, Thornmallow’s teachers remain kind and patient, and he soon has a cadre of loyal, loving friends. But there is something that no one is telling the boy: As the 113th student to enroll in the wondrous academy, Thornmallow has an awesome and frightening duty to fulfill—and failure will mean the destruction of Wizard’s Hall and everyone within its walls.

About The Author

Born and raised in New York City, Jane Yolen now lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Jane Yolen is a person of many talents. When she is not writing, Yolen composes songs, is a professional storyteller on the stage, and is the busy wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. All of Yolen's stories and poems are rooted in her sense of family and self. The Emperor and the Kite, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1983 for its intricate paper-cut illustrations by Ed Young, was based on Yolen's relationship with her late father, who was an international kite-flying champion. Owl Moon, winner of the 1988 Caldecott Medal for John Schoenherr's exquisite watercolors, was inspired by her husband's interest in birding.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Maggie on September 14, 2008

I just picked this one up at the library to reread as I remembered loving it as a kid. It was, in fact, the first novel I ever got a library fine on, as I lost it under my bed for several months. A book that tells the story of a boy wizard succeeding against all odds might sound a bit familiar to you......more

Goodreads review by Krista on June 29, 2021

After learning that this book preceded Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and that its author, Jane Yolen, feels that Rowling stole all of her ideas from Wizard's Hall and is remarkably grumpy about the Harry Potter series ("even though the story moves along, I just don't feel like they're wel......more

Goodreads review by Andrew on January 15, 2014

"Wizard's Hall", a novel by Jane Yolen, highlights the interesting journey of "student number one-thirteen." Henry, a small, thin, boy with untidy hair and brilliant green eyes, is going off to magic school. To any Harry Potter fan, this all sounds oddly familiar, and yet this book was published 6 y......more

Goodreads review by Whitney on June 15, 2016

Just a few days ago, Thornmallow was a simple boy named Henry who lived on a farm. Now he's a wizard who's just discovered that there's an evil heading right for his new school. With this threat to the school, also comes the threat to his new friends. And it's up to Thornmallow to help save the day.......more

Goodreads review by Adriana on July 15, 2020

Cute, short book. I thought the magical world and humor were interesting and fun! I like the idea of the traditional "names have power" dynamic, and that magic in this story is based upon wordplay, and that the wizard's given names are all nature-based and tell something about the person's personali......more


Awards

  • AudioFile Earphones Award