As You Wish
Author: Nashae Jones
Published January 7th, 2025 by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
Summary: A girl learns the hard way to be careful what she wishes for in this sweet and funny middle grade rom-com featuring a chaos-loving West African trickster god.
Birdie has big plans for eighth grade. This is the year that she gets a boyfriend, and since she and her best friend, Deve, do everything together, it makes sense that Deve will get a girlfriend. This is the kind of math Birdie doesn’t find intimidating—it’s Eighth Grade 101. (Birdie + Boyfriend) + (Deve + Girlfriend) = Normal Eighth Grade Experience. And normal is something Birdie craves, especially with a mom as overprotective as hers.
She doesn’t expect Deve to be so against her plan, or for their fight to blow up in her face. So when the West African god Anansi appears to her, claiming to be able to make everything right again, Birdie pushes past her skepticism and makes a wish for the whole mess to go away. But with a trickster god, your wish is bound to come true in a way you never imagined.
Before long, Birdie regrets her rash words…especially when she realizes what’s really going on with her and Deve. With her reality upended, can Birdie figure out how to undo her wish?
Praise:
“This fun, middle-grade offering reminds readers that what you wish for is sometimes already there.” – Booklist
“A delightful exploration of friendship, mental health, and first love with a touch of magic.” – Kirkus Reviews
About the Author: Nashae Jones is a kid lit writer because at an early age she learned what the magic of books could do for a developing mind. She always dreamed of creating worlds that would stay for a reader long after they put down their books. Nashae is also an educator and book reviewer (kid books, of course). She lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, son, escape artist Husky, and two black cats that Nashae is convinced are reincarnations of Pinky and the Brain. You can find her on X @Jones_Nashae.
Review: This middle school rom com takes a well known romance trope (granting wishes/alternate world) and throws it into 8th grade making for a funny yet heartfelt read where you can’t help but root for Birdie and Deve’s happiness.
As a middle school librarian, I am always so happy to find a romance novel about middle schoolers because my students are chomping at the bit for romance books and often reach for books for older readers, but I know not all of them are developmentally ready for those books–this is another book in my arsenal to recommend to my romance-loving, middle grade-reading students.
Educators’ Tools for Navigation: Inclusion of mythology is a big hit with reader, and I loved the inclusion of Anansi in this story. This is a great way to throw in some African folklore disguised within a romance book.
Also, the wishes definitely give time to talk about cause and effect, specifically looking at social consequences of kids’ behaviors on others.
Oh, and theme! This book has such a perfect ending to talk theme!
Discussion Questions:
- What would you wish for?
- How did each of Birdie’s wishes mess with her world?
- How could she have worded the wishes differently?
- What were signs that Deve was giving Birdie right at the beginning of the book?
- What is the worst thing that Birdie did throughout the book? What did this teach her?
Flagged Passages: I listened to the audiobook, which I highly recommend. Visit the book’s publisher page to hear a preview of the audiobook.
Read This If You Love: Love Requires Chocolate by Ravynn K. Springfield, Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang, Pippa Park series by Erin Yun, Kaya of the Ocean by Gloria L. Huang, Tristan Strong series by Kwame Mbalia
Recommended For:
**Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing for providing a copy for review!**