Joplin, Wishing

A heartfelt and magical middle grade novel in the tradition of Tuck Everlasting and Bridge to Terabithia, about family, wishes, and the power of true friends to work magic.

While cleaning out her reclusive grandfather's house, Joplin discovers pieces of a broken platter in a cookie tin. After having the platter repaired, Joplin wishes that she could both find a friend at school, and befriend the girl pictured in the platter.

The next day, Joplin befriends a boy named Barrett, and also notices a girl outside her apartment. A girl who looks remarkably like the girl in the platter...

The girl introduces herself as Sofie, and she has a terrible secret. Cursed to grant wishes for the owner of the platter for all of time, she has been trapped for centuries. Joplin and Barrett vow to help her, but freeing Sofie is more complicated than they could have imagined, and the three friends end up against a sinister foe who could put them all in terrible danger.

• Making New Friends: Joplin just wanted one friend. Thanks to a magical wish, she gets two: a kind, clever boy named Barrett and a mysterious girl with a centuries-old secret.
• Genie in a Bottle Story: Sofie isn't just a friend--she's a magical being cursed to grant the platter owner's every wish. But her power comes with a terrible price.
• Family Secrets: Freeing Sofie means untangling a mystery that connects her past to Joplin's own family in a way no one could have ever predicted.
• Coming of Age Fantasy: To save her new friend, Joplin must find her courage, stand up to an ancient, sinister foe, and learn that some magic is worth fighting for.