The Christmas Genie »

When he was a kid, Dan Gutman always did his homework. That's how he grew up to write cool books such as The Kid Who Ran for President, Honus & Me, The Million Dollar Shot, Race for the Sky, and The Edison Mystery: Qwerty Stevens, Back in Time. If you want to learn more about Dan or his books, stop by his Web site: www.dangutman.com.

But first do your homework.

Dan Gutman brings his classic kid humor and school-based stories to a favorite holiday in The Christmas Genie, now in paperback!

Publishers Weekly

So what does a genie have to do with Christmas? Plenty, in Gutman's goofy middle-grade novel. After a genie emerges from a meteorite that has crashed into Chase's fifth-grade classroom, Chase (a personable, funny narrator) and his classmates must decide on one wish. Most chapters are devoted to a single potential wish—Chase's is “I wish I had all the money in the world”—as the kids weigh their options. Despite the ample silliness, Gutman works in discussion of topics like war and divorce as well as the ethical and global ramifications of the various wishes. Ages 8–12. (Oct.)