The Amulet of Samarkand -- Jonathan Stroud, Paperback

Presenting a thrilling new voice in children's literature-a witty, gripping adventure story featuring a boy and his not-so-tame djinni.

Nathaniel is a young magician's apprentice, taking his first lessons in the arts of magic. But when a devious hotshot wizard named Simon Lovelace ruthlessly humiliates Nathaniel in front of everyone he knows, Nathaniel decides to kick up his education a few notches and show Lovelace who's boss. With revenge on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all: summoning the all-powerful djinni, Bartimaeus. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand, Nathaniel finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder, blackmail, and revolt.

Set in a modern-day London spiced with magicians and mayhem, this extraordinary, funny, pitch-perfect thriller will dazzle the myriad fans of Artemis Fowl and the His Dark Materials trilogy. And with the rights sold in more than a dozen countries, and a major motion picture in the works, the Bartimaeus trilogy is on the fast track to becoming a classic.

Author: Jonathan Stroud
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
Published: 05/12/2004
Pages: 462
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 7.60h x 5.20w x 1.40d
ISBN: 9780786852550
Age Range: 10-13

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5.9
Point Value: 19
Interest Level: Middle Grade Plus
Quiz #/Name: 73958 / Amulet of Samarkand

Award: Texas Lone Star Reading List - Commended
Award: Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards - Honor Book

Review Citation(s):
PW Notes and Reprints 06/28/2004 pg. 53
Kliatt 01/01/2005 pg. 22
Publishers Weekly 06/28/2004

About the Author
Jonathan Stroud (www.jonathanstroud.com) is the author of four previous books in the Lockwood & Co. series as well as the New York Times bestselling Bartimaeus books, and the stand-alone titles Heroes of the Valley, The Leap, The Last Siege, and Buried Fire. He lives in England with his wife and three children.