Wizard for Hire

In this offbeat series opener, a young man searches for his parents with the aid of a self-proclaimed wizard, a resourceful girl, and a talking mechanical raven. Ever since his scientist parents were abducted seven years ago, 14-year-old Ozzy Toffy has grown up alone in their remarkably well-stocked cabin in the Oregon woods, living on expired canned food and learning from the books they left behind, with Clark the raven as his only companion. When Ozzy grows curious about the outside world, he attempts to reassimilate into a society he barely knows, which inspires him to hire the wizard Labyrinth (also known as Rin) to help him find out what happened to his parents. Ozzy’s seven-year solo survival requires suspension of disbelief, but Skye (Mutant Bunny Island) wisely keeps Rin’s nature ambiguous—is he magical or delusional?—while playing up the theme of found family. The juxtaposition of weird science and dodgy magic is sometimes awkward but nevertheless successful, thanks to the tongue-in-cheek humor Skye weaves throughout the story. Ages 10–14. Agent: Laurie Liss, Sterling Lord Literistic. (Mar.)