Cover of The Evil Wizard Smallbone

The Evil Wizard Smallbone

by Delia Sherman

Assigned across 1 curriculum list

On reading-award lists:Andre Norton Award for Middle Grade & Young Adult Fiction

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.

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Grade range
Grades 5–12
First published
2018
Genre
Science Fiction & Fantasy
ISBN-13
9781536203653

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

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

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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

How we classify

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.

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