Wishing Day

When budding writer Natasha turns 13 and makes three wishes under a willow tree, she feels a hint of magic in the air. Since her mother’s disappearance eight years ago, Natasha has been defined by her helpfulness, attending to her younger sisters, their forgetful father, and two aunts. After wishing for her first kiss, her mother to be alive, and to be “somebody’s favorite,” Natasha finds mysterious notes of encouragement around town and receives curious riddles from an eccentric Bird Lady concerning her mother. Following the riddles, Natasha realizes that her mother’s disappearance is more complicated than she first believed. Concentrating on the idea that “beneath the ordinary world lies a hidden world,” Myracle (the Internet Girls series) infuses enchantment into a heartwarming and well-written tale of sisters navigating a world without their mother. Though there are more questions than answers by the novel’s end (the book is first in a planned trilogy), Myracle leaves readers with the powerful idea that wishing is more about appreciating what one already has than about getting what one wants. Ages 8–12. Agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary. (May)