The Wish Switch

Gr 3-7–Sixth-grader Emma Rockford has been impatiently waiting for the fourth day of the fourth month to arrive. According to late Nana Marie, it is on this day that four wishes will be granted to four lucky citizens of Glinko, NE. Emma meticulously creates her list of four wishes: non-invisibility, to be appointed as a school senatorial candidate, to no longer be awkward, and for her mother to meet a nice man and fall madly in love. Emma and her two best friends, Allie and Kennedy, arrive at the 44th cottonwood tree in the forest where a hidden portal in the ground connects to the faerie lands. As Emma is tossing in her wishes, her brother Noah and his new friend Jackson arrive and throw in their wishes as well. Jackson’s wishes collide with Emma’s and this creates significant confusion in Emma’s life. Did Jackson receive her wishes? Jackson and Emma team up on a quest to discover the truth and possibly transfer the final wish. Main characters are composed with dimension and depth in a story cleverly written with a nice mix of fantasy, mystery, humor, and young love. Painter has a knack for weaving a tale that is sure to delight all readers. Characters read as white.