The Amulet of Samarkand
Jonathan Stroud 
<b>Presenting a thrilling new voice in children's literature-a witty, 
gripping adventure story featuring a boy and his not-so-tame djinni.</b><br><br>
 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. <br><br> Set in a 
modern-day London spiced with magicians and mayhem, this extraordinary, 
funny, pitch-perfect thriller will dazzle the myriad fans of <i>Artemis Fowl</i> and the <i>His Dark Materials</i>
 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.