The Christmas Genie - Hardcover

Gutman, Dan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1416990011 ISBN 13: 9781416990017

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2009

Synopsis

It's the last day of school before Christmas vacation and Alex, Chase, and the rest of Mrs. Walter's fifth-grade class couldn't wish more for that final bell to ring.

But the day takes a crazy turn when a mysterious meteorite crashes through their classroom window and a genie pops out. He will grant just one wish for the whole class to share. Be careful what you wish for!

About this title

About the Author:

Dan Gutman hated to read when he was a kid. Then he grew up. Now he writes cool books like 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 website at DanGutman.com.

Dan Santat is the Caldecott Medal–winning and New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, as well as the illustrator of many other picture books, including Crankenstein by Samantha Berger. Dan lives in Southern California with his wife, two kids, and various pets.

From Booklist:

Rising out of a meteorite that lands in Chase’s fifth-grade classroom, a genie offers the class a Christmas wish if they can all agree on one in 40 minutes. They suggest everything from a wall-sized TV to peace on earth, but they can’t settle on one choice. The suspense mounts as Chase’s classmates’ wishes—drawn one by one from a bowl—become more and more preposterous, the arguments against them become louder, and the clock ticks. Structurally easier to follow than Gutman’s The Homework Machine (2006), the first-person narrative here moves chronologically and inexorably to a surprising climax. Supposedly “kind of into science stuff,” Chase makes a basic mistake about the winter solstice on the third page that savvy middle-grade readers will catch, but that shouldn’t lessen their enjoyment of the story. Two lessons are clearly stated: think now about your goals and dreams, and be careful what you wish for. Readers may be laughing too hard to notice. Illustrations not seen. Grades 3-6. --Kathleen Isaacs

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1416990011
• ISBN 13: 9781416990017
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 160
• Illustrator: Santat Dan