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INTERMEDIATE FICTION
Kate, Lauren

One True Wish

240 pp. | Atheneum | April, 2023 | Trade ISBN 9781665910569 $17.99 | Ebook ISBN 9781665910583 $10.99
(4) 4-6 Birdie and Gem are former best friends who have drifted apart by the middle of sixth grade. Their nonbinary classmate Van is struggling to fit in. The sudden arrival of a fairy--who doesn’t believe children are real--brings the three together, along with Gem’s younger brother, Marley. Phoebe, the fairy, is the embodiment of a world Birdie created years earlier and has been drawing in her comic in the school newspaper, and the four tweens agree to keep her presence a secret and help her get home. Phoebe maintains her fairy health by granting wishes, but the longer she stays in Texas, the weaker she gets. In order to save Phoebe, the kids must work with her to grant their own wishes, which involves figuring out their true desires. Kate has a knack for pithy descriptions (“understanding Gem was a lot like algebra: the harder Birdie tried, the worse she did”) that make the text pop. The book offers a lighthearted approach to the characters’ issues (body image, uneven development, loneliness, bullying)--though suggesting that a fairy can solve these problems might not sit well with all readers. The story is engaging, and if Birdie and Gem’s eventual reconciliation feels a bit drawn out, Kate gives full weight to the emotions of tween girls, both those who grow up quickly and those who are more childlike.
Reviewer: Sarah Rettger

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