The eponymous magician's boy finds himself in hot water one day, when the puppet needed to play St. George goes missing from the set he uses during performances of St. George and Dragon. Dispatched by the magician to the Land of Story on a quest to find the missing saint, the boy meets many nursery rhyme and fairy-tale characters, from the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe to the Pied Piper of Hamelin, Jack of Jack-in-the-Beanstalk fame to Little Red Riding Hood. Guided on his way by a signpost, he eventually discovers where St. George can be found (he himself must assume the role), and returns to the human world, where his master is impressed, and finally agrees to teach him magic...

I enjoyed The Magician's Boy, which I largely sought out because of my great fondness for some of its author's other works—namely, her marvelous The Dark Is Rising Sequence, her entertaining Boggart books, and her lovely folktale retellings—although I don't know that it is really the equal of some of those other books. The story idea—a hero who must traverse the world of stories, interacting with some of its famous denizens—is one I have seen before, but is entertaining nevertheless, and I thought the resolution here, in which the boy is himself the object of his quest is intriguing. That said, I never felt too deeply involved in this one, perhaps because of its brevity, and the fact that it is aimed at beginning chapter-book readers. Despite the fact that it is not destined to become a favorite, I am glad to have read it, and do recommend it to beginning chapter-book readers who enjoy fantastic fiction. ( )

I only read this for Susan Cooper (I love her Dark is Rising series as well as Seaward). I liked the overall story/concept, but the prose was overly simple. I realize it is meant for young readers (probably elementary-age), but I have come to expect better from Cooper. Also, the story was a little confusing. ( )

This is a delightful little story about a little boy who is the "puppetmaster" for a magician. When the St. George puppet from "St. George and the Dragon" disappears, Boy must go on a quest through various fairy tales and nursery rhymes to find the missing puppet. ( )

FROM LIBRARY CATALOG:
When a magician’s apprentice loses the puppet of Saint George, his master forces him to search for it in the Land of Story. The boy’s quest through well-known nursery rhymes and folk tales, leads him to face many challenges and narrowly escape with his life.