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Wand

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

A dazzling story of grief and found family wrapped in a spellbinding fairy tale, perfect for fans of Anne Ursu and Jodi Lynn Anderson.

Eleven-year-old Mira wishes everything could go back to the way it was. Before she changed schools and had to quit gymnastics. Especially before Papa died. Now she spends her days cooking and cleaning for her stepsisters and Val—who she still won't call mom and still won't forgive for the terrible thing she did.

When a mysterious girl named Lyndame appears out of the woods wielding a powerful wand, she makes Mira an offer she can't refuse: she will grant Mira three wishes.

What if magic isn't just pretend after all? What if these wishes could fix everything? But in the quiet town of Between, Georgia, where secrets lurk and rumors swirl of strange creatures, nothing is as it seems, and everything comes at a price.

Rising talent Landra Jennings weaves together an enchanting, modern fairy tale with eloquence and compassion about finding hope after loss—and finding belonging in the places we least expect.

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    • Kirkus

      September 15, 2023
      A young girl wishes for change. Eleven-year-old Mira feels like she must take responsibility for things around the house, like cooking and watching over stepsisters Sarah, 10, and Beans, 4. She wants to feel useful to Val, her late father's wife, especially since they've had to do a lot of what Val calls "belt tightening." But Mira, whose mom died when Mira was an infant, doesn't feel like she belongs anywhere. Private school and gymnastics were other belt-tightening sacrifices, and she misses Shanice, her best friend from gymnastics. All Mira really has is an old pendant of her mother's that she always wears. In her town of Between, Georgia, rumors are that the fenced-off Glass Pond leads to "someplace else" and that the strange, disoriented people sometimes found wandering nearby emerged from it. One day, Mira meets Lyndame, a mysterious teen girl with plum-colored hair who's accompanied by a golden bird. Lyndame says her silver wand can grant wishes, and she offers Mira "three reasonably sized" ones, requesting her pendant in return. Multiple perennially popular fantasy tropes come into play in this novel, although there's a long buildup before the mystery is revealed in a rapid-fire manner that doesn't feel worth the wait. Main characters read white. Has all the ingredients of a satisfying fantasy but is ultimately let down by uneven pacing. (Fantasy. 7-11)

      COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • School Library Journal

      November 24, 2023

      Gr 4-7-Eleven-year-old Mira is having a tough time adjusting to her new normal in the wake of her father's death. Money is tight, so she had to give up gymnastics and private school, and is wearing too-small shoes because she doesn't want to inconvenience her stepmother. Without her father, Mira isn't sure how she fits into her family. When a mysterious stranger appears and offers her three wishes, Mira knows she should be careful. She's heard stories of fairies who trick people by offering them their wildest dreams. But wishing for a new pair of shoes seems harmless, and she's tired of being made fun of for wearing the same pair of flip-flops every day. Readers will expect it when these wishes backfire, and eventually, Mira is off on an adventure through a magical realm, hoping to be reunited with her "real" family. Newer fantasy readers may find more enjoyment from Jennings's narrative than more seasoned ones, as many of the tropes are familiar. The themes of belonging, navigating grief, and found family are resonant, but the relationships fall flat amid the well-trod ground of this fantasy story. All main characters are presumed white. VERDICT A decent addition to the middle grade fantasy genre that first-time fantasy readers may appreciate. Not a first purchase.-Dana West

      Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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