The Wish Switch

Sixth grader Emma Rockford was raised by her beloved late grandmother to believe in the magic of a powerful faerie portal that purportedly grants wishes. While on a class field trip, Emma uses instructions left by Nana to sneak away with her BFFs Kennedy and Allie to find the portal so they can each make four secret wishes. At a crucial moment, they’re interrupted by Emma’s brother, Noah, and new kid Jackson; later, Emma realizes that while her friends’ wishes have come true, her own seem to have benefitted Jackson instead. As big changes start occurring for Kennedy and Allie, Emma questions her own fate and struggles to deal with heartbreak and disappointment. She soon resolves to make her wishes come true, even if she must team up with Jackson to do it. In a playful middle grade debut, Painter (Nothing Like the Movies) employs a speculative premise to capture the joys and heartaches of adolescent physical, mental, and social shifts. Emma’s steadfast narration and organically rendered relationships deftly ferry messages of perseverance, faith, and acceptance in this sweet take on growing up. The protagonists read as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: James McGowan, BookEnds Literary. (May)