The Misadventures of Benjamin Bartholomew Piff: You Wish

How many other books can you combine in one? ( )

From School Library Journal
Grade 4–6—Benjamin lives in a horrible orphanage where he is punished by having to use a toothbrush to clean out the moldy cooking pots. He can still remember his parents and the life he used to lead before they died. When a social worker stops by with a birthday cake for him, his life is changed with a single wish come true—that he will have unlimited wishes. While this is good news for Benjamin, it's bad for the world as it upsets a natural balance and opens the door for Curseworks to put an evil plan in place that will make curses so strong that they cannot be stopped. The premise of the book is imaginative, but the characters are one-dimensional, leaving the story feeling flat. The descriptions of the Wishworks Factory are vivid and filled with details. Unfortunately, the orphanage itself seems old-fashioned, and readers will be jolted to find that they are actually in the modern world of video games and televisions rather than a world of Victorian orphans in top hats.—Tasha Saecker, Menasha Public Library, WI ( )

This was quite a clever little YA book -- I finished it a while ago, but despite the ordinary plot (orphaned boy becomes remarkable hero, battles evil, saves magical world and/or day, gets to live happily ever after), the premise and circumstances are fresh and sharp. Much of the book is situated in the Wishworks factory, the place where wishes come from, and all the trouble begins when a boy (said orphan hero) makes a perfect, by-the-book wish... for infinite wishes. This, of course, throws the factory into chaos and the boy has to come to terms with his overstep and, naturally, fix the mess. It's quick and bright, has some nifty ideas (flying battle-chairs -- picture your La-z-boy with wings, shields, and a cannon -- are simply cool), and a pretty decent message about personal responsibility, so I have no trouble recommending it.

The best thing about this book was the title.

The next best thing was how it started out. And then it just kept going downhill from there. I can't quite put my finger on why it failed to be engaging, but despite all the magic, the magic just wasn't there.

While the basic structure and premise were okay, the execution offered nothing new, and the whole story seemed to be packed in a too-small package. (This is dangerously close to the attitude of it's so bad and there's so little of it, but there you are.) None of the characters were ever given any depth, and the ultimate direction of the plot was more or less obvious from page two.

And don't we have enough fantasy boy-heroes?

In a genre rife with stories like this, why bother with ones that really don't shine? ( )

When Ben's parents are killed in a plane crash he's sent to live in an orphanage of the very worst sort. Most nights he spends scouring out the horrible, smelly kitchen pots with a worn toothbrush as punishment for imagined infractions. Imagine his surprise and delight when a wild wish made on his birthday comes true! Suddenly Ben has unlimited wishes at his disposal.

But at the Wishworks Factory, where hardworking fairies, jinns, and assorted other magical creatures work hard and happily to prepare children's birthday wishes, panic ensues - every wish Ben makes means some other poor child is disappointed. And to make matters worse, Ben's wishing globe has gone missing - stolen by the rival Curseworks factory. Now it's up to Ben and the Wishworks staff to set things right.

In a word, slight. It's readable, but rings of a bit too much Harry Potter wannabe for me. ( )