Granted

In a delightful fantasy about grappling with unforeseen challenges, a fairy embarks on a mission to grant her first wish. For an ambitious, type-A fairy like Ophelia Delphinium Fidgets, the task should be simple: find the coin her target wished on and use fairy dust to fulfill the wish (in this case, a 13-year-old Ohio girl’s request for a bike). She can’t afford to fail: fairy society relies on wish granting to maintain the flow of increasingly scarce magic. But a wing injury renders Ophelia unable to fly, and a series of circumstances keeps that all-important coin just out of reach. Anderson (Posted) maintains a careful balance between earnestness and whimsy as Ophelia bounces from one incident to the next, aided by her new friend, Sam, a scene-stealing stray mutt. For the most part, Anderson plays the concept of a small fairy coping with a big world straight, but some tongue-in-cheek observations and heartfelt moments make for a feel-good, optimistic story that finds the magic in everyday things. Ages 8–12. Agent: Josh Adams, Adams Literary. (Feb.)