The Evil Wizard Smallbone
Assigned across 1 curriculum list
The Evil Wizard Smallbone by Delia Sherman is assigned in US schools at grades 5–12. It appears across 1 curriculum reference, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where The Evil Wizard Smallbone is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
- Grade range
- Grades 5–12
- First published
- 2018
- Genre
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- ISBN-13
- 9781536203653
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More formats & details
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About this book
“Sherman captures perfectly the slow transition of a kid steeped in grief and misery to a boy who is slowly starting to trust, love, and hope again.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review) When twelve-year-old Nick runs away in the middle of a blizzard, he stumbles onto a very opinionated bookstore. He also meets its guardian, the self-proclaimed Evil Wizard Smallbone, who calls Nick his apprentice and won’t let him leave, but won’t teach him magic, either. It’s a good thing the bookstore takes Nick’s magical education in hand, because Smallbone’s nemesis — the Evil Wizard Fidelou — and his pack of shape-shifting bikers are howling at the borders. Smallbone might call himself evil, but compared to Fidelou, he’s practically a puppy. And he can’t handle Fidelou alone.
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Why widely assigned
This Science Fiction & Fantasy title, typically at grades 5–12. Written in the 2010s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.
Where this book is assigned
Andre Norton Award for Middle Grade & Young Adult Fiction
- recommended·5th gradesource: Andre Norton Award (SFWA) winners + finalists, via Wikipedia — 2016 Honor
- recommended·6th gradesource: Andre Norton Award (SFWA) winners + finalists, via Wikipedia — 2016 Honor
- recommended·7th gradesource: Andre Norton Award (SFWA) winners + finalists, via Wikipedia — 2016 Honor
- recommended·8th gradesource: Andre Norton Award (SFWA) winners + finalists, via Wikipedia — 2016 Honor
- recommended·9th gradesource: Andre Norton Award (SFWA) winners + finalists, via Wikipedia — 2016 Honor
- recommended·10th gradesource: Andre Norton Award (SFWA) winners + finalists, via Wikipedia — 2016 Honor
- recommended·11th gradesource: Andre Norton Award (SFWA) winners + finalists, via Wikipedia — 2016 Honor
- recommended·12th gradesource: Andre Norton Award (SFWA) winners + finalists, via Wikipedia — 2016 Honor
Common questions
- What grade level is The Evil Wizard Smallbone?
- The Evil Wizard Smallbone is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 5–12. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What curricula assign The Evil Wizard Smallbone?
- The Evil Wizard Smallbone appears on reading lists for Andre Norton Award for Middle Grade & Young Adult Fiction. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Evil Wizard Smallbone banned in schools?
- The Evil Wizard Smallbone does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
Why this book is on this list
Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.
- Lexile measure
- Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
- Grade band
- Grades 5–12 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: read-aloud.