November 12, 2024 by Scholastic Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Maya Amir lives in Washington, D.C. with her parents, older siblings, and Dadi, her grandmother who used to be the head of an environmental protection agency in Pakistan before she came to live with them. When her mom's cousin and daughter come to visit, Maya has to double up with Dadi, and also gets an intriguing package in the mail. It's a sparkly bracelet, and it has a note with it. Soon, she's video chatting with Becca (from Best Wishes), Addie (The Sister Switch), and Lucy (Time After Time), who has sent the bracelet to Maya after getting caught in a time loop! They all warn Maya about the importance of making a good wish, and also tell her to watch out for Eloise, who is trying to steal the bracelet. Maya is excited about the opportunity, but finds it very hard to make decisions, so doesn't make the decision right away. When she has an environmental club meeting, Maya wavers long enough that her best friend Hazel volunteers to be the president. Maya doesn't mind so much, but when Hazel doesn't jump right in to actual environmental issues, she's concerned. Putting glitter on posters and buying promotional sunglasses is BAD for the environment, and when talking to another club member, Maya wishes that she were in charge. The bracelet gets warm, and the faculty advisor puts Maya in charge! Not only that, but when she gets home, Dadi asks what she wants for dinner. Basically, everything that needs to be decided gets turned over to Maya, who is in charge of EVERYTHING. After a disastrous couple of days at school, where she is put in charge of a classroom and then the entire school, Maya begins to realize that she should have made a more careful wish. After having to consult with her parents on their IRAs and her siblings on what colleges they should attend, the secret service come to whisk Maya away to meet the president. Dadi insists on going with her. The president says that he's going away and wants Maya to be in charge. The White House staff supply her with suits, and she's off making policy. When the vice president tries to sabotage the climate meeting that Maya is in charge of, Dadi suggest that she make a committee of people she trusts. Maya calls her family to the White House, and they help her make a lot of policies. Eloise tries to get in to the secured area with a blow torch to take off the bracelet, and is summarily arrested! Once the environmental issues are resolved, the family bowls and has a celebratory dinner, but then Maya gets to go home. She meets up with the other girls, and sends the bracelet on to someone named Emma, who will no doubt have as exciting a time as Maya did!
Strengths: As adults, we forget how little control kids have over their days. Just this past year, I asked a student what he was doing for the weekend, and he replied "Whatever my parents tell me I'm doing, I guess!" Being IN CHARGE would be very appealing to a ten year old, even one who might struggle with making decisions. I love Maya's interest in the environment, and Dadi is a great character; I was glad that she went to the White House with Maya. Of course, a lot of the things Maya is put in charge of get out of hand in goofy ways, and the vice president is over-the-top evil, but that just makes the situation all the funnier. I love how each of these books grants wishes in a unique way.
Weaknesses: For some reason, I would rather that the girl receiving the bracelet didn't get anything but a brief note from the previous recipient. No matter what they say, things are going to go wrong somehow, and it would be more mysterious if there were limited direction on how to use the bracelet.
What I really think: This series is a quick, fun read, and the illustrations add to the appeal. I enjoy the fact that the wishes don't turn out too horribly, and the girls always learn something. There are a lot of middle school students who can use some help with making decisions, so this is a great topic to focus on. When I was Maya's age, I thought I wanted to be president of the United States, so I would have loved this one.
Weaknesses: For some reason, I would rather that the girl receiving the bracelet didn't get anything but a brief note from the previous recipient. No matter what they say, things are going to go wrong somehow, and it would be more mysterious if there were limited direction on how to use the bracelet.
What I really think: This series is a quick, fun read, and the illustrations add to the appeal. I enjoy the fact that the wishes don't turn out too horribly, and the girls always learn something. There are a lot of middle school students who can use some help with making decisions, so this is a great topic to focus on. When I was Maya's age, I thought I wanted to be president of the United States, so I would have loved this one.
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