The 12th Candle

Description

Middle school meets magic in this hilarious and heartfelt novel about a girl whose life flips when she wishes on an enchanted candle-perfect for fans of Sarah Mlynowski and Wendy Mass. Sage Sassafras's life is cursed! No, really. Since birth, Sage has been plagued by the Contrarium Curse that's set her at odds with classmate Priscilla Petty. Every time something goes right for Priscilla, it goes terribly, horribly wrong for Sage. And things always go well for Priscilla. Sage blames the curse for all her middle school misery-from losing a friend to failing gym to gaining a reputation as the girl whose daddy's in trouble. So when Sage is given a magical candle on her twelfth birthday, she seizes the chance to turn her luck around-with a wish to reverse the curse. But when the consequences of her wish take a terrible turn, Sage has to team up with her worst enemy-before she's doomed to a life of opposites forever.

Kim Tomsic is a Co-Regional Advisor for the Rocky Mountain Colorado branch of SCBWI, a yoga instructor, and the author of two picture books with Chronicle (Spring 2019 and Spring 2020). This is her first middle-grade novel. She lives in Colorado with her husband, two children, and two dogs. You can find Kim online at: www.kimscritiquingcorner.blogspot.com

"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