The 11:11 Wish by Kim Tomsic

A wish-granting clock is the unique agent in this tweener story about forming one’s principles against the desire to be popular.

The 11:11 Wish by Kim Tomsic.  HarperCollins, 2018, 361 pages

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12

Recommended for: ages 10-14

Megan is starting afresh at Saguaro Prep Middle School, a life change at the end of a string of life changes beginning with her mother’s sudden death in an auto accident.  Her dad has taken a new job at a University in Phoenix, and there goes their old life in Colorado.  It would be way too much for anyone, but routinely sad becomes magically bad when Megan discovers a link to her own family in the new school.  It’s a cat clock in one of the classrooms, exactly like the one her grandmother owned.  Said grandma, a jet-setting free spirit currently in Paris, used to make wishes on the clock exactly at 11:11.  Odd that there’s an identical one in Phoenix.  Could it have the same wish-giving power?  Is there such a thing as wish-giving power?  If not, why does Grams warn her away from it?  And finally: what’s the harm in wanting to be popular, especially at a new school that’s gearing up for its annual Spirit Week?  A few well-placed wishes could help Megan make the biggest splash ever.

Plotwise, this is a story about fitting in, overcoming shyness, building self-confidence and standing up to bullies, spun off the What would you do to be popular? theme.  The “magic” seems a bit tacked on; I’m not sure why it’s there except, interestingly, to back up the moral context.  As Gram explains, the so-called Magicverse “requires good stewardship, selflessness, and a lack of frivolity.”  Funny: faith in Christ requires the same thing.  More and more, we’re seeing supernatural, impersonal entities stand in for the traditional religion.  The magic at times seems a bit forced, as if the story could have done without it.  Dreamboat Jackson is a little too perfect and mean-girl Rhena is hard to get a handle on: she can be genuinely nice—but also really mean.  Still, it’s a clean, entertaining story with no objectionable elements except the curious intervention of a Magicverse.

Cautions: Worldview (see review)

Overall Rating: 3.75 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 3.5
• Artistic value: 4.00