Granted by John David Anderson (review)

Ophelia Delphinium Fidgets is called into service as a wish-granting fairy when a girl throws a nickel into a fountain in Ohio, wishing for a purple bicycle to replace one that was stolen. Ophelia suits up with camouflaging magic, a flight suit, and a tracking device that will summon help as she tries to find the nickel so that she can blast it with fairy dust and grant the wish. Things go awry immediately, but she doggedly chases the nickel (which helpfully calls to her) as it passes through the hands of several people to end up with a kid who uses it for a wish of his own, placing Ophelia in the awkward position of having to decide whether to follow her heart or the rules of her office. The well-imagined world of fairy occupations and wishing lore will appeal to detail-oriented kids who appreciate the mechanics of imaginary worlds; Ophelia’s frustrations with rules, setbacks, and physical limitations will have a familiar ring to kids trying to figure out what they’re good at. The difficulties she encounters afford rich opportunities for imaginative engagement in both physical and moral problem-solving alongside the resourceful fairy; indeed, the only thing pink and sparkly about this fairy is her flight suit, which is quickly covered with dog slobber (she’s accompanied by a loyal, if not too bright, canine helper) and discarded, making her as original as she is good at her unexpectedly difficult job.