Talented but misunderstood apprentice magician Nathaniel summons a djinni, Bartimaeus, to play a sort of prank.

Author: Jonathan Stroud   
Published: Little Brown, 2003

Talented but misunderstood apprentice magician Nathaniel summons a djinni, Bartimaeus, to play a sort of prank. Before he knows it, Nathaniel is in way over his head as ruthless magicians and their supernatural servants battle it out for the priceless Amulet of Samarkand. Set in a London where magicians rule clueless commoners and told from both Nathaniel and the arrogant but amusing djinni's points of view, this first in a trilogy is a must-read for any fantasy lover.