Emma and the Blue Genie

Gr 2–4—Eight-year-old Emma and her pup Tristan wander out to the beach one night to sit and dream of faraway lands. What this girl and her "noodle-tailed dog" don't expect is for her wishes to be answered by a glowing bottle bobbing along in the waves. When she opens the bottle, she frees a blue genie named Karim who was imprisoned by a wicked yellow genie and thrown into the sea. Though Karim was deprived of most of his powers, he is determined to journey back to his master, the caliph of Barakash. Emma and Tristan yearn to have an adventure of their own, and so they join their blue friend in a magical journey to a land straight out of a desert fairy tale. While the tropes of this story will doubtless be familiar, the author's love of spirited heroines and skilled hand at prose make this a pleasure to read and share. Full-color illustrations, many full page, bring the characters to life and make this a great pick for younger readers just getting into longer chapter books. A fun fantasy romp.—Stephanie Whelan, New York Public Library