The Real Boy

September 16, 2013
Oscar is the magician’s hand, charged with collecting plants to concoct spells, and lives happily hidden away, with his cats, in the cellar of Master Caleb’s shop in the Barrow, outside the walled city of Asteri. (Ursu subtly delineates tics that suggest 11-year-old Oscar may be autistic.) Then Master Caleb disappears for mysterious obligations on the continent, and the bane of Oscar’s existence, the magician’s apprentice, is killed. Oscar’s world crumbles. Unprepared to deal with customers, he receives help from the Healer’s apprentice, Callie, but Oscar realizes his inability to make small talk is more than shyness: there is something off about him. It gets worse: his garden is ravaged, the city’s children fall ill, and a monster stalks the countryside. It’s left to Oscar and Callie to save Asteri. Adult readers will savor Ursu’s allusions to well-known fairy tales—most significantly, Pinocchio—and appreciate the many well-turned phrases. But the story has some gaps, and a message about the failings of magic may disappoint younger fantasy fans. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Tina Wexler, ICM. Illustrator’s agent: Susan Cohen, Writers House.

Starred review from November 1, 2013

Gr 4-7-The island of Aletheia boasts as its crown jewel the city of Asteri, powered by the lingering magic of ancient wizards. Nowadays there is only one, mildly magical magician, Caleb, and his lowly assistant, Oscar, to provide magical solutions for Asteri's demanding residents. People, social situations, and breaks in routine discomfit the orphaned Oscar in ways reminiscent of autistic spectrum children. He prefers to gather plants from the forest and converse with Caleb's cats. Circumstances force Oscar to depart from routine when Asteri's magic goes awry. Oscar teams up with Callie, the healer's apprentice, to cure the ailments and repair the broken magic that threatens Aletheia. In the process, Oscar discovers Caleb's illicit use of magic, questioning his own origins and purpose. This is a tale replete with memorable settings and weighty issues. Readers will dog Oscar's footsteps, wondering as he does, when magic moves from being a gift to becoming a crutch. His friendship with Callie serves as a bridge between him and the larger community, and it often puzzles him. Ursu subtly proves that Oscar and Callie have a mutually beneficial relationship that gives both needed insight and support. As the novel concludes, the dense plotlines pull in as tight as they can, but there are still unanswered questions and a rather quick ending. Still, Oscar's tremendous heart fills every nook of this richly told story. His heroic stumbles will fondly remind readers of Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted (HarperCollins, 1997) and Meg from Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time.-Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Library Association, CT

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

An isolated, insecure orphan living in magical Aletheia becomes a "real boy" when his ordered world crumbles and he must rely on himself. Since coming to the Barrow, 11-year-old Oscar has lived in magician Caleb's cellar, where he performs menial tasks preparing herbs. The Barrow encircles a shining, walled town whose privileged residents depend on the Barrow's magic smiths to supply them with protective potions, salves, charms and spells. Clueless about people, Oscar loves plants, including the wizard trees that infuse the Barrow's soil with magic. When urgent business takes Caleb away, his apprentice is murdered, and Oscar must run Caleb's shop. Lacking social skills, Oscar longs to fold "up, like an envelope," but he manages the shop with help from a kindhearted girl who befriends him. Suddenly, more terrible things happen: Children begin to ail, wizard trees are felled, and a sinister creature kills Caleb and threatens the Barrow. Determined to find why magic no longer protects everyone and burdened with many characteristics of autism, the unlikely Oscar realizes it's up to him. Incorporating fairy-tale elements, Oscar's story unfolds slowly as he overcomes his phobias and discovers that friendship trumps magic any day. Black-and-white illustrations capture story highlights. A good pick for fairy-tale fans, especially those battling their own fears. (map) (Fantasy. 8-12) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 15, 2013
An isolated, insecure orphan living in magical Aletheia becomes a "real boy" when his ordered world crumbles and he must rely on himself. Since coming to the Barrow, 11-year-old Oscar has lived in magician Caleb's cellar, where he performs menial tasks preparing herbs. The Barrow encircles a shining, walled town whose privileged residents depend on the Barrow's magic smiths to supply them with protective potions, salves, charms and spells. Clueless about people, Oscar loves plants, including the wizard trees that infuse the Barrow's soil with magic. When urgent business takes Caleb away, his apprentice is murdered, and Oscar must run Caleb's shop. Lacking social skills, Oscar longs to fold "up, like an envelope," but he manages the shop with help from a kindhearted girl who befriends him. Suddenly, more terrible things happen: Children begin to ail, wizard trees are felled, and a sinister creature kills Caleb and threatens the Barrow. Determined to find why magic no longer protects everyone and burdened with many characteristics of autism, the unlikely Oscar realizes it's up to him. Incorporating fairy-tale elements, Oscar's story unfolds slowly as he overcomes his phobias and discovers that friendship trumps magic any day. Black-and-white illustrations capture story highlights. A good pick for fairy-tale fans, especially those battling their own fears. (map) (Fantasy. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2013) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2013
Grades 4-7 Oscar knows he's different. He can't remember where he comes from, he has an encyclopedic knowledge of magical herbs and their uses, and he just does not understand human interaction. As the apprentice to Caleb, the last magician in the magic-steeped Barrow, Oscar doesn't need to worry about how different he is: all he needs to do is collect the herbs, prepare the charms and tinctures, do his chores, and avoid trouble. That changes when a mysterious destructive force begins obliterating anything magical, and the city's perfect children start falling curiously ill. As Oscar and his friend Callie investigate the source of the devastation and seek to protect the Barrow and its inhabitants, they discover a deep, dark secret. And has Oscar discovered why he's so different? Ursu (Breadcrumbs, 2011) also presents a rich world filled with natural magic and a troubling origin story of sacrifice. The puzzling and atmospheric mystery takes an empowering turn as Callie and Oscar learn to rely on the valuable strengths they already have. Perfect for the Neville Longbottoms of Harry Potter fandom.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2014
Misfit orphan Oscar is content to be his magician master's menial "hand." Then Master Caleb disappears, and children in the magically protected City suddenly begin to sicken. Using [cf2]Pinocchio[cf1] as her point of departure, Ursu creates a highly rewarding and involving adventure, with a tight plot, resonant themes, a clearly limned fantasy landscape, and a sympathetic main character.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 1, 2013
Misfit orphan Oscar is content to be his magician master's "hand": doing the menial work of preparing herbs; staying in the cellar with his cat friends. Then his orderly world explodes: Master Caleb disappears and bane-of-Oscar's-life apprentice Wolf is mysteriously killed, leaving Oscar to mind the shop -- Oscar, who, like a person with Asperger's syndrome, lacks interpersonal skills and can't decode facial expressions. Even worse, children in the magically protected City suddenly begin to sicken, and together with his new friend Callie, a healer's apprentice, Oscar must find both cause and cure. Using Pinocchio as her point of departure (with a little "Red Riding Hood" thrown in for good measure), Ursu skillfully implies a connection between Oscar and the little wooden puppet boy. . .which turns out to be a clever piece of misdirection. But not quite, because in fact Oscar does become more of a "real boy" in the end. It's all highly rewarding and involving, with a tight plot, resonant themes, a gripping adventure, a clearly limned fantasy landscape, and a sympathetic main character. Callie and Oscar's sometimes prickly relationship sparks the dialogue, while Oscar's self-doubts feed the considerable emotional content. As in Breadcrumbs (rev. 1/12), there are holes in the story's logic (why should the ailing children have different symptoms when the source of the problem is the same?), but readers will forgive the book's flaws as they root for Oscar to come into his own: "You're not made at all, Oscar. Don't you see?. . .You get to do the making." Final art unseen. martha v. parravano

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)