The Genie Scheme
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When Janna impulsively buys a winter hat for a bag lady, she expects nothing in return. But Janna's kindness pays off in a big way when the bag lady turns out to be a genie! Now Janna is the genie's master and she couldn't be happier, especially when she learns that the "three wishes" rule is strictly for fairy tales! Before long, Janna's room is overflowing with clothes and gadgets -- but things aren't quite as simple as they seem. Making wishes comes with its own set of rules, and Janna discovers that "unlimited" has some...well, limits. Genies can't make something out of nothing, so everything that Janna wishes for is taken from somebody else. Oops. And then there's the problem of genie wattage -- there's only so much of it, and Janna is using it up faster than she'd like. What's a greedy girl to do? With insight, warmth, and a refreshing dose of humor, Kimberly K. Jones puts a new twist on the old adage "Be careful what you wish for."Children's LiteratureJanna really resents living frugally, but even she can recognize that some people are worse off—like the bag lady she buys a winter hat. Or maybe the bag lady isn't so bad off; it turns out that she is a genie! Of course, Janna leaps at the chance to have her wishes fulfilled. She soon finds out that genies cannot create things out of thin air and that everything she wishes for will come from somewhere or somebody! She also learns that there's only so much genie wattage; as soon as Janna has used it all up, no more wishes. As Janna makes more and more wishes, the genie finds ways to open Janna's eyes to the less fortunate. While the concept of a genie is executed humorously at first (e.g., Janna's first wish is to have a wardrobe like her classmate and the entire contents of that girl's closet are transported to Janna's home), the book quickly becomes very didactic and preachy. While the lessons about the less fortunate are good ones, the examples used (e.g., visiting the homeless) are rather tired and don't pack the punch they could. Still, the genie is a rather amusing character and her interaction with Janna is, for the most part, entertaining. Reviewer: Amie Rose Rotruck
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