So you want to be a wizard (1996) Parents Guide: Is the book OK for kids?

The book contains no sexual content, romantic subplots, or even mild flirtation. The relationship between Nita and Kit is strictly a burgeoning friendship and magical partnership based on mutual trust and the shared experience of wizardry. The tone remains wholesome and focused on the intellectual and ethical development of the protagonists. This lack of romance is typical for early urban fantasy aimed at a middle-grade audience.

Violence is moderate for the genre but contains a realistic and upsetting scene of Nita being physically beaten and bruised by Joanne and her gang early in Chapter 1. Later scenes transition into high-fantasy peril, featuring sentient, predatory machines like taxicabs and helicopters that hunt biological life in an alternate dimension. The protagonists face a dragon-like fireworm and various malevolent shadows during the climax. While there is no gore, the sense of physical threat and the descriptions of the dark…

Language is very mild and appropriate for the target age group. Occasional use of 'shut up' or mild insults such as 'weirdo' appear primarily in the context of the bullies mocking Nita. There is no profanity, including the absence of any 'damn' or 'hell' variations. The dialogue between the two protagonists is respectful and focused on problem-solving. Some of the elder wizards use a slightly more formal or archaic tone that is devoid of coarse language.

There is no usage of alcohol, drugs, or tobacco products within the story. The narrative focuses strictly on the protagonists' magical education and their efforts to protect the city from metaphysical threats. Consistent with its middle-grade target audience, the characters do not encounter or engage with any prohibited substances. Even peripheral adult characters are not depicted drinking or smoking. The focus remains entirely on the 'Ordeal' and the magical mechanics of the universe.

Strong themes of cosmic entropy are personified through The Lone Power, the entity responsible for introducing death into the universe. The narrative explores the necessity of mortality, the morality of personal choice, and the physical and emotional toll of standing up to existential evil. Nita deals with intense feelings of isolation and powerlessness due to bullying before finding her voice. The story emphasizes that magic is a heavy responsibility requiring great personal sacrifice rather than a source of easy…