From the Publisher
"Tomsic demonstrates that wishes have a power of their own, no matter the good intentions behind them. [Sage has a] colorful group of friends whose engaging dialogue and ever-evolving relationships capture the essence of middle-school interaction." — Booklist
“A thoughtful look at curse versus choice and an encouragement to youngsters to make their own paths.” — Kirkus Reviews
Sage is a believable feisty twelve-year-old, who has been trying to outrun her family’s tarnished reputation for as long as she can remember, and her vulnerability to the preening Priscilla is keenly relatable. — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
PRAISE FOR The 11:11 Wish: “Debut author Tomsic infuses Megan’s first-person narrative with lots of personality and a distinctive voice, and secondary characters are all complex and multidimensional. Light fantasy firmly grounded in the realities of middle-school emotions.” — ALA Booklist
“Readers will empathize with [Megan’s] tenuous position and her tenacity despite the hilarious situations she gets herself into. A fine, funny fix.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Tomsic puts a pawsitively magical twist on middle school mayhem. Whimsical and wacky, The 11:11 Wish is a romp of a read sure to please young teens and tweens.” — Ingrid Law, Newbery Honor Winner and New York Times Bestselling Author of Savvy
“Full of unexpected twists and turns, this sweet, funny book is pure magic.” — Tara Dairman, author of All Four Stars
"The book briefly touches on the seriousness of bullying and having a parent in prison, but overall it treats its subject matter with a light hand, and there’s plenty of appeal in the notion of magic and wish fulfillment. Readers will contentedly follow Sage to the neatly wrapped happy ending." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Sage is a believable feisty twelve-year-old, who has been trying to outrun her family’s tarnished reputation for as long as she can remember, and her vulnerability to the preening Priscilla is keenly relatable.
Ingrid Law
Tomsic puts a pawsitively magical twist on middle school mayhem. Whimsical and wacky, The 11:11 Wish is a romp of a read sure to please young teens and tweens.
Booklist
"Tomsic demonstrates that wishes have a power of their own, no matter the good intentions behind them. [Sage has a] colorful group of friends whose engaging dialogue and ever-evolving relationships capture the essence of middle-school interaction."
Tara Dairman
Full of unexpected twists and turns, this sweet, funny book is pure magic.
ALA Booklist
PRAISE FOR The 11:11 Wish: “Debut author Tomsic infuses Megan’s first-person narrative with lots of personality and a distinctive voice, and secondary characters are all complex and multidimensional. Light fantasy firmly grounded in the realities of middle-school emotions.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Sage is a believable feisty twelve-year-old, who has been trying to outrun her family’s tarnished reputation for as long as she can remember, and her vulnerability to the preening Priscilla is keenly relatable.
Booklist
"Tomsic demonstrates that wishes have a power of their own, no matter the good intentions behind them. [Sage has a] colorful group of friends whose engaging dialogue and ever-evolving relationships capture the essence of middle-school interaction."
School Library Journal
10/18/2019
Gr 4–6-Twenty-five years ago, pink lightning, a phenomenon occurring when lightning strikes during a snow and thunderstorm, struck and destroyed the friendship between Sage and Priscilla's mothers. Thus started the "Contrarium Curse" which now continues between their daughters. Then, on Sage's 12th birthday, she's given a magic wish-granting candle, which she hopes will get her dad out of prison, her mom out of desperate financial straits, and Sage out from under the thumb of bully Priscilla. It doesn't take long to find out that the wish she hoped would solve all her problems changes things—into a new configuration that might just be worse than the old one. Too bad the rules forbid "unwishing." This is a sweet story that offers commentary on bullying and stresses the importance of thinking before acting and being a good friend. Sage takes ownership of her own poor choices and learns that kindness can be a "curse-reverse." VERDICT Although there are no surprises and only a token nod to diversity here, upper elementary school readers seeking a happy ending won't be disappointed. Purchase where Wendy Mass's "Willow Falls" series is popular.-Elizabeth Friend, Wester Middle School, TX
Kirkus Reviews
2019-06-30
Middle school years are hard enough without an actual curse ruining your life!
Sage knows this firsthand. Sage's narration is plucky, if a bit one-note, through most of the story as she describes how the Contrarium Curse negatively affected her mother and Mrs. Petty when they were students, turning friends into adversaries. It's preordained that Sage and schoolmate Priscilla Petty won't get along. Priscilla makes fun of Sage, and she's had more darts in her arsenal ever since Sage's daddy was imprisoned for trying to rob a bank. Given a magic candle, Sage wishes for a reversal of the curse, but it doesn't work as she had hoped. The consequences are disastrous, as expected. Magical thinking can't hold a candle to the true solution, which includes forgiveness, reconciliation, and acts of kindness. These discoveries, as well as finding the courage to confront Daddy's crime, allow Sage to grow. Primary characters seem to be default white, while some secondary characters are people of color. The feel-good ending satisfies, although Sage's father's appeal is realistically left pending.
A thoughtful look at curse versus choice and an encouragement to youngsters to make their own paths. (Fiction. 8-12)