This fully illustrated book series with a large font would be a great book for emerging readers. A colorful and vibrant cover will attract readers. However the illustrations in the book are gray and black. The main characters, Jeanie and willow, are both narrators. The chapters are divided between them. Willow's font is bold to accentuate which one of the girls is sharing their story.
Jeanie is a student of color, even the black and gray illustrations show her darker skin, who likes her facts, paying attention and being a good student. A new student is introduced in her second grade. Willow is the complete opposite of Jeanie. Willow is very inquisitive from the moment she is sitting next to Jeanie. They become friends but after Willow stops the rain, Jeanie knows something is up. Willow is a genie. She can only tell one person this secret to keep her ability to grant wishes and she is wondering if Jeanie is the right person.
This is the first in the series and is an introduction to the characters and any storyline to follow. Although there is not a cliffhanger at the end, readers will want to continue on if they like the characters. This series will be appealing to those who are interested in magic combined with a friendship story and could be a good fit for 1st graders ready to read a chapter book.
2nd - 4th grade
Oral
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