Review of The Genie Scheme by Kimberly K. Jones

Chapter Book Warns Kids to be Careful What You Wish For

Mar 19, 2009

Kimberly K. Jones' new fantasy novel shows the problems of greed -- and the power of generosity.

Ever think life would be easier if you could just have everything you wanted? Janna does. She hates not owning all the latest gadgets, having to shop for her clothes at thrift stores, and riding in a car that starts so rarely her mother named it "Maybe."

But Janna's life changes dramatically when she buys a winter hat for a bag lady who turns out to be a genie! Now, thanks to that act of kindness, "Eugenie" (as Janna calls her) is Janna's genie -- and will grant Janna an unlimited amount of wishes! (Turns out that whole three wishes thing was just something to provide dramatic tension in the Aladdin story).

There's a Genie in the House...

At first, Janna thinks she's hit the jackpot. Finally, she can have the wardrobe she's always wanted, and every single toy and gadget from her favorite catalogs. Even taking tests becomes a snap -- after all, why study when you can just wish for the answers?

But soon Janna discovers that having unlimited wishes isn't as great as it seems. For one thing, everything she wishes for has to be taken from someone else, making Janna feel like a thief. For another, although Janna's wishes are unlimited, Eugenie's powers are not -- and Janna is burning through her genie's magic with her expensive wishes.

But worst of all, Janna finds that having all the clothes, toys, and gadgets she thought she wanted doesn't make her that happy. What can she do?

Then one night, Eugenie takes Janna and her best friend Albert on an eye-opening tour of her town's neediest citizens -- and the greedy people who take advantage of them. Suddenly Janna realizes how selfish her wishes have been. Can she find a way to use Eugenie's remaining magic to make things better for everyone?

Mary Poppins Meets Aladdin

Using the same wit and wisdom she displayed in her first novel Sand Dollar Summer, Kimberly K. Jones offers readers a modern fairytale full of magic, wishes, and outrageous comedy. Whether Janna is wishing for mountains of merchandise (and almost instantly regretting it) or being served by a seagull Eugenie transformed into a French waiter, the book provides plenty of laugh-out-loud scenes.

For all its funny moments, however, the book also succeeds as a cautionary tale as Janna slowly realizes the trouble her selfishness and greed can cause. Amid these layers of meaning, Eugenie shines -- a classic trickster figure whose wild attitude and crazy antics disguise a wise teacher who helps show Janna the power of generosity.

Both a fun chapter book and a lesson in the importance of kindness, The Genie Scheme is a good book for middle graders to read on their own or for teachers to share with their classes.

Jones, Kimberly K. The Genie Scheme. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2009. ISBN: 978-1-4169-5554-2

Do you like fantasy novels with wishes that don't go the way you expected them to? Then read this review of My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison.

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