The Genie in the Book [Hardcover]

Cindy Trumbore (Author), R. W. Alley (Illustrator, Contributor)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Having your deepest wish granted isn't easy!
First the bad news: Ten-year-old Will Parrish knows that he's in for a bummer of a summer -- his parents can't join him and his little sister Maddy on their annual visit to Grandma's at the beach, Grandma has a broken ankle, and Jerome, Will's incorrigible cousin, is spoiling for trouble -- for which Will is often blamed. The good news: Will is staying in his mother's old room, which is filled with her childhood books. Leafing through The Arabian Nights, Will inadvertently releases a kindly genie who insists upon granting Will's deepest wish. But -- what is Will's greatest wish?
A delightfully freewheeling fantasy, Will's adventures are inspired by such well-known and well-loved classics as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Treasure Island, and the books of Edward Eager. In Cindy Trumbore's appealing first novel, young readers, along with Will, Maddy, and Jerome, have a summer as exciting as any they have ever read about!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6 - Will and his sister Maddy are on summer vacation at Grandma's house while their parents look after their failing coffee shop. When Will finds his mother's copy of The Arabian Nights, he unwittingly says some magic words and a genie named Homer appears to grant his heart's desire. Unable to decide just what that is, Will asks for a series of wishes, including visiting the Great Barrier Reef, becoming a musical genius, and making his parents' financial problems go away. Each wish carries a hint of danger but all of the children's adventures end with a safe return to Grandma's. Once Homer finishes his obligations, Will sets him free. This mediocre story has little excitement or character development, not to mention a very predictable ending. An amusing black-and-white line drawing heads off each brief chapter. - Alison Grant, West Bloomfield Township Public Library, MI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. In this throwback to the simple storytelling of the mid-1950s and 1960s, Will Parrish gets a surprise when he opens a copy of The Arabian Nights at his grandmother's house: a big green genie, Homer, who is anxious to break himself of an ancient curse. Granting Will his deepest wish is part of his redemption, but Will isn't quite sure what to wish for. As the book progresses, various wishes come to mind, which the genie graciously grants while Will ponders the big one. So begins a series of adventures that culminates in Will and Homer helping to save the Parishes' coffee shop from being gobbled up by a Starbucks-like chain. This is more pleasant than exciting, but the revelation of Will's greatest wish is a bit of a surprise. Not for kids who want "edgy," but fine for those looking for a short, satisfying read. The pen-and-ink "decorations" are fine, but actual illustrations would have expanded the text. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (October 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593540426
• ISBN-13: 978-1593540425
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,066,989 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We loved Homer!, January 30, 2005

By 

Gary H. Cassel "Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews" (Baltimore, MD, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Genie in the Book (Hardcover)

I read this book to my kids and we all really enjoyed it. The Genie in the Book is about a genie, Homer, stuck in a book until he grants a truest wish. Will, who has released him from the book, is given the opportunity by Homer to have his truest wish. Will and his friends have some very exciting adventures as he thinks about his truest wish. Finally, as if fated, Will's truest wish helps others more than he could have imagined. This releases Homer as well, making for a very happy ending. There is a nice message for children in The Genie in the Book, that your truest wish can be for others and not necessarily for yourself. Helping others can even be more rewarding and satisfying.