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[edit] How I found out about the Young Wizards Series

Since I find my tale of discovery a bit intriguing, I thought it might be fun to put it here. It started in my first year of junior high school, sometime during the spring semester if I remember correctly. I was reading a news magazine, either TIME or Newsweek, and I came across an article on something about schoolwork and stress. The article seemed to be focusing on a particular schoolgirl as a case in point. Among the pictures in the article, there was one showing her reading a storybook in bed, and you could see the cover clearly from the angle the shot was taken. It turns out that she was reading a book entitled So You Want to be a Wizard, by Diane Duane. Just the year before I had read The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy by Tolkien, and was intrigued by another book with magic in it. So I decided to go to my local library and check it out.

I found the book easily (note that this was the 1996 version of the book with the cover art by David Bowers), and really enjoyed it. At the time I thought this was just a stand alone book, not part of a series, and was a bit disappointed that the adventures of Nita and Kit had ended there (not realizing there were still at least three more books in the series at the time).

About eight years later in late 2004, I saw the movie "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfotunate Events" and wanted to read the books it was based on. I went to my local library, up to the children's section, to check them out. While I was browsing for them, I came across the first book in the Young Wizards series, except this was the 2001 edition with cover art by Cliff Nielsen. I was surprised to find a 1 on the spine this time (there were more?!) and flipping through the book I found a sneak preview at the back of the next book, and a website for the series. I soon found out there were six more books already out, with more on the way.

Delighted, I ordered the series after the end of the semester and went through them. It was quite an experience to read the first book after all these years, for there were certain events that I remembered, and some that I didn't. Overall, I enjoyed the series (which is why I'm here), and look foward to the upcoming installments.

[edit] My attempt at a timeline for the Young Wizards series

Since it was suggested on the Refrigerator Door, I've decided to put up my attempt at a timeline that I think best fits the series. This grew out of a discussion over at Kit's page. I've basically copied it here with a few modifications and additions to give it a permanent place, and in case the discussions get cleaned at some point. Well, here it is!

Needless to say, by the very nature of a timeline, it will contain spoilers, so

            WARNING! The material following this line contains SPOILER data. Read on at your own risk!                                        

I've always wanted to do that.

Note: In the US, children born in a given year are all placed into the same grade, unlike many other countries. Hence, in order for Kit to have skipped a grade, but be in the same grade as Nita, he must have been born the year after Nita, so I will be assuming this henceforth. Furthermore, from the start of the series, Kit and Nita are both in eighth grade.

• SYWTBAW: This book takes place during the spring of some year, sometime between March and May. (A date given in DW would imply that it takes place in May.) Kit is 12, and Nita 13 and note that Nita's birthday is never explicitly stated (nor in any later text), so we cannot be certain as to her date of birth. The time frame of this text spans about a week or two.

• DW: This takes places early July, which is consistent with schools of the Long Island area, as school ends around the last day of June. The time frame of this novel is about a week, and ends (according to the text) on July 15.

• UL: In this short story, Kit is 12, and Nita 13, and certainly takes place after DW according to the text. It is also clear that it takes place during the summer. As the story itself spans only about a few hours in the afternoon, it can take place with a matter of days after DW has finished. Say, July 20th, for example.

• HW: Here, it is clear this takes place during some of the hottest days of the summer, and mid to late July certain fits as a typically hot period of the year around Long Island. The only technicality (which is probably what throws everything else off), is that Kit is mentioned as being 13, but his birthday is on August 25th. However, assuming this is simply an oversight on DD's part, this novel can take place as soon as a week after DW. So Kit is still 12, but Nita may or may not be 14. Dairine's age is given as 11, and the novel itself spans only a day, or two at most, and can take place within days of UL.

• AWAB: This story we know starts out in late July, for Nita says school starts September 9th, and Nita's mom wants her to go to Ireland for the rest of the summer, a "six week" break. This book, however, makes a few statements that lead to serious timeline confusion, but two stand out in particular: First, it states that Nita's been doing wizardry for about two and a half years now. Second, Dairine's age is given as 10. It turns out that the second statement is actually a typo that appears in some of the earlier editions, but is corrected in the later editions. Personally, I think DD was just being a little sloppy here with the timeline. Shaun (Johnny) O' Driscoll does mention the events of DW, namely The Song of the Twelve, as having taken place last summer, but again, this is probably an inconsistency. Lastly, if Nita has really been doing wizardry for two and half years, she and Kit would be a lot older in later books, and certainly wouldn't be starting ninth grade in the next book. She is mentioned as being 14 here, which contradicts having done wizardry for over two years. In any case, I'm putting this down as having taken place about a few days or so after UL. The text itself spans about a week or two.

• TBONWM: Yup, Nita and Kit make an appearance here, so I'll put it in. This is certainly after HW, and before TWD, so it could take place in between HW and AWAB, or AWAB and TWD, but is apparently during the summer. My guess is probably after AWAB, since there isn't a whole lot of room for anything extra between HW and AWAB (remember, Nita and Kit were working with trees for a few days shortly before Nita left). Also, Rhiow mentions Nita as being "fourteenish", implying that this does take place after AWAB (assuming Nita is in fact 14 in AWAB and Rhiow's hunches are on target).

-Well, so much for summer break!

• TWD: This takes place the September after AWAB, and doesn't appear to contradict any other texts above. Kit is 13 by this time, and Nita likely 14. It takes place in the span of about a week in mid September.

• AWAL: This takes place sometime between December of the given year and January of the next, over a week or two. No problems here.

• WH: This takes place over spring break of the year after the given year. So Kit and Nita are both in ninth grade, Kit is still 13, Nita 14, and Dairine 12. Spring break can refer to any number of breaks (all during the spring, obvioulsly), and depending on the school, can take place in either February, March, or April. In any case, it's been about a year since SYWTBAW. A lot happens to a wizard in year, no? Tom seems to be starting to show it. Also, DD (cleverly?) never mentions either Nita's, Kit's or Dairine's ages anywhere in this text, so no confusions here.

• WAW: This novel takes place right after WH, and definitely no more than a few days after, as Nita and Kit are still on break. Nita's age is given as 14 here, which is consistent with this timeline so far. The novel itself only lasts for a few days, not more than a week probably, so, no trouble here.

Well, this is the best I've been able to do, and it comes closest to fitting DD's info on Kit's page. I think this was pretty much what DD had in mind for the series. Indeed, one of her statements in the afterword to the 20th anniversary edition of SYWTBAW seems to fit well with this version of events, for she says: "in one book Dairine is hacking away at a wizardly version of CP/M, and in another book, ostensibly set only months away, Kit is wrestling with a mulish DVD player," implying that HW and AWAL are in fact only a few months apart.

[edit] About me

My pseudoname is in the tradition of e e cummings, one of my favorite poets (except "hawk" is not my last name, but its pronunciation is similar). I am currently an undergraduate majoring in math, with a concentration in physics.