Opportunity Knocks

Gr 3-7–Middle schooler Lila Moradi, 11, with pronouns she/her, has just found her niche in the school band, but now the music program’s funding has run out. When she discovers a small wooden box with a poem and a mysterious key, her first thought is that it might be a cherished relic and there will be a reward—she could use the money to save the band. But the magic key reveals a gold door and after she reads the poem, magical Felise appears, declaring herself Opportunity, or Lady Luck. Felise assures Lila she will bestow luck upon her and Lila quickly does find good fortune—until she encounters Mr. Mammonton of Mammonton Industries, a maker of dangerous technology like sentient drones. He’s angry and he wants his key back. When Lila loses the key, calamity begins. Will Lila restore calm and get her true wish, to not only to save the band but also to find a place where she belongs with friends who understand her? This is a fun, lighthearted story that explores tween angst and the desire to fit in. Readers will be rooting for Lila, while yearning for their own wish-granting genies.