Fred: Wizard in Training

Originally published as Wizard Vs Lizard, get ready for a laugh-out-loud magical adventure from award-winning author Simon Philip and Sheena Dempsey, illustrator of the much-loved Dave Pigeon series!

Fred may look ordinary, but sometimes people who look ordinary turn out to be not veryordinary at all ... because it just so happens that Fred is a Wizard!

Sounds pretty great, right? Except that Fred is absolutely, completely, mind-boggingly TERRIBLE at magic. At school, he’s stuck in a class of wizards half his age, feeling like a twit among tots. At home, he’s endlessly teased by his siblings and always a disappointment to his parents. All Fred wants is to become a better wizard....

So when he hears about a competition to meet Merlin (yes, THE Merlin!) Fred knows it's his one chance to prove to his family that he's not the worst wizard in town. The catch? To win the competition he has to capture the tail of a terrifying, fire-breathing lizard... 

Illustrated by Sheena Dempsey

Published by Simon & Schuster Children’s UK, September 2019

ISBN: 9781471190957

Look inside…

Reviews

“a funny, lively tale about not fitting in and having the courage to face fears head on. A marvellous fantasy adventure for confident independent readers.”

BookTrust

“an enjoyable romp for 8- to 10-year-olds…The illustrations are charming…The writing is amusing and clever in a way that kids will enjoy.”

— Children’s Books Ireland

“the first in a series that looks set to be rather good. With great humour and an overload of the everyday…this is a loveable introduction to chapter books. With messages on bravery, determination…and never under-estimating yourself!”

MinervaReads

More in the series…