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Product Description Fourteen-year-old Ozzy lives near Portland, Oregon, and is desperate for help. His scientist parents have been kidnapped after discovering a formula that enables mind control. Their work was so top secret Ozzy is afraid to go to the police, but without help, he fears he'll never find his parents. Then he stumbles across a classified ad in the local newspaper that says "Wizard for Hire. Call 555-SPEL." Ozzy has read about wizards in books like Harry Potter, but wizards couldn't actually exist today, could they? After Ozzy meets the wizard Labyrinth--aka Rin--he's even more skeptical. Sure, Rin dresses like a wizard, but the short robe and high-top tennis shoes seem unorthodox, as does Rin's habit of writing notes on his shoes and eating breakfast for every meal. Plus, Rin doesn't even cast any magic spells, which means that the unexplained coincidences that start happening around Ozzy are just that--coincidences. With the help of a robotic-talking raven invented by Ozzy's father, a kind and curious girl at school who decides to help Ozzy, and, of course, a self-proclaimed wizard who may or may not have a magical wand, Ozzy begins an unforgettable quest that will lead him closer to the answers he desperately seeks about his missing parents. From School Library Journal Gr 4–6—When Ozzy Toffy's family moves to the Oregon woods, the frightening kidnapping of his parents leaves him alone in a remote cabin. Years later, the 14-year-old has survived on his own, teaching himself from the collection of books and papers his parents left and eating from a well-stocked pantry of canned food. But after the discovery of a collection of tapes from his parents and a mechanical talking bird named Clark, Ozzy ventures out into the world to find his family and experience life outside the secluded cabin. He attends school, tries fast food, and buys new clothes for the first time before requesting the help of a breakfast-loving "wizard" named Rin. Ozzy's orphan story is a trope that many readers will have seen before, but his charisma and quick wits make his interaction with a world familiar to most readers—school and restaurants especially,—more interesting. Characters grow and change throughout, and dialogue is delightful, especially between Rin, the eccentric wizard who performs no magic, and Ozzy. While readers might expect resolutions via impressive magic, it's strokes of luck, quick thinking, or fast-talking that often save the day. VERDICT Winning characters and witty humor elevate the plot. A solid purchase for large collections where light magical fantasy circulates.—Thomas Jonte, Pensacola State College, FL Review An engrossing read, it kept me turning the pages late into the night and during the days... Obert Skye keeps you guessing as the strange and the mystical weave together at a brilliant pace! --Deep Magic About the Author Obert Skye has traveled to all fifty states, visiting with children and librarians in hundreds of schools and inspiring people to read. Besides traveling and writing, he enjoys solving mysteries and collecting old maps. His bestselling Leven Thumps series has sold hundreds of thousands of copies nationwide, and he is also the author of The Creature in My Closet series, the Witherwood Reform School series, and the Pillagy trilogy. "Imagination is one of the most powerful things in the world," he declares. "It's the vehicle that opens your mind to the impossible."