"In 1845, Sammy, a Chinese American girl, and Annamae, an African American slave girl, disguise themselves as boys and travel on the Oregon Trail to California from Missouri"--
After running away from an abusive home, Nick becomes the apprentice to wizard Zachariah Smallbone, the owner of a bookstore whose snarky books teach Nick the magic he will need to defeat Smallbone's nemesis, werewolf Fidelou.