THE IRON TRIAL (Magisterium #1) by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

The story: When most kids hear "magical", they think of something special. Not Callum Hunt--he thinks of the power that killed his mother, and that's now taking him away from his dad. He tries his hardest to flunk the magical test waiting for him at the Magisterium, but he can't do it. There's a power deep inside him waiting to come out--but is it for good, or for evil?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG; sexual content G; nudity G; magical and the occult PG-13; substance abuse PG; adult themes (death of a parent; betrayal) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: As a fantasy fan, I enjoyed this story, but it does occur to me that that yet another kid sent to a magical school to discover powers about which he knows nothing is not exactly new territory. However, the Magisterium is a cool underground world, Callum doesn't know who he can trust, and isn't even sure whether he'll turn out to be the good guy in his own story. What's a boy to do--except maybe shoot some fire bolts, steal a lizard, and make sure not to say anything to any adult who might be able to keep him from doing something crazy?