Genie Wishes by Elisabeth Dahl (review)

It's the beginning of fifth grade, and Genie Haddock Kunkle has just been nominated as the class blogger. Between an epic sleepover, the parental canceling of Junk Food Day, and the dreaded Sex Ed class, Genie finds she has plenty to write about, but as the year goes on, she starts wondering if her posts should be more serious. After all, she's experiencing some pretty major life changes, like losing a best friend and gaining a new one, trying on bras and deodorant, and watching her single father take up dating again. Genie is a remarkably angst-free preteen, and her creative responses to the various issues of puberty and middle-grades dynamics involve little drama, offering a refreshingly optimistic option to kids who don't get what the fuss is about all these "changes." The third-person narration is a little rambling and purposive, but the blog entries themselves are short and sweet and to the point. Additionally, the author has a keen eye for the tween girl experience: Genie's plans for the future involve living right by her best friend and working together as dolphin trainers, while the highlight of her summer is the fact that her other friend just joined the pool. This will no doubt resonate with tween girls, and it has the charm and the discussion fodder to make an excellent mother-daughter book club selection.