Wishes and Wellingtons by Julie Berry

Mauve hates the boarding school she's been sent to and spends a lot of time in trouble.  When she is sent to sort the garbage, she suddenly finds a sardine can that is moving .  When she opens it, a djinni comes out and wants to grant her wishes.  Wow!

Sourcebooks Young Readers and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published October 13th.

This is an exciting and entertaining read.  She shares her discovery with her roommate.  The orphan boy next door is looking in the window and finds out, too.  He wants to have it after her three wishes have been granted to make his wishes and then he'll give it to her roommate.  She agrees, knowing when she's through it will disappear to who knows where.  Tommy doesn't know that.

Then a man wants the sardine can.  His daughter told him about it.  (She was eavesdropping when she shouldn't be.)  First he offers her money.  It's tempting but she says no.  Then he says he'll get her father hired.  She won't give it up but she also wants to save her father.  Then the man sets another one on her, following her everywhere trying to get the djinni.

He manages to steal it.  Will she get it back?  Can she save her dad's job?  It's an exciting ending!

The Emperor's Ostrich by Julie Berry

Begonia is on the road looking for their cow, Alfalfa.  She needs to be milked but she likes to wander.  This time she has wandered into trouble...

Roaring Brook Press and Net Galley allowed me to read this for review.  It will be published June 13th.

This is really the tale of a young emperor finally coming of age to lead his dynasty.  His ancestors think he has been poorly trained, is rude and is not ready for the role.  So he suddenly finds himself hanging from his window sill with only an ostrich to rescue him.  The bird takes off and the poor young emperor finds himself in the woods.  He's never ventured there before.

The ancestors help with Begonia's search, too, but not in the way she wanted it to go!  Once she finds Alfalfa, she also finds the ostrich and the emperor.  He's so rude, she sets out with her cow, but the ostrich follows and so does the emperor...

She has made a friend along the way named Key and he helps her through difficult circumstances.  And, as the ancestors hoped, the hard time the young emperor has helps him realize how people feel about him and that he needs to make some improvements.

You meet odd people along the way, the faction at the castle who intend to replace the emperor are defeated and everything works out for the best.  This is fun read with lots of action and smiles along the way.  The ostrich is a fun part of the story; he made the story work.

The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry

Here is a school for girls that takes those in that the family's don't want around or can't handle.  The parents pay for the education and room and board.  The lady running the school keeps the money for herself and gives them very little to eat.  Their education is boring, the lady's brother is a bother when he visits, and nobody is any too happy living there.  They do all agree it's better to be there than at home, though.

Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review.  It will be published September 23rd, so make a note to pick up a copy then.

They are serving Sunday dinner to the lady and her brother on a Sunday, as they usually do, when the woman starts to choke and then just sits there - without breathing!  Her brother runs to her aid and keels over the floor.  He's also expired.  The girls just sit there and look at each other!  What happened, how did it happen, and what will they do now?

The first thing they decide to do is bury the bodies.  They want to stay together in the house and they are prepared to make it appear everything is normal.  While they are in the process of hiding the bodies until night, they have their first shock.  Company comes to visit!  What's the worst thing that could happen when your guardians have died from the dinner they ate?  A surprise birthday party for the dead man that they didn't know about!

This is a fanciful tale that I just love.  They begin by telling lies:  The lady is sick and abed, the brother has gone to rescue a poor nephew in India (suddenly, of course) and the party will have to be cancelled.  One lady has hurt her ankle while the girls were trying to keep her out of the house, so now they have an overnight guest.  They put her in bed with the dead woman, hide her glasses and give her a drink with a sleeping power in it.  She sleeps well.  In the meantime, Stout Alice has to dress up as the teacher and take her place in the bed to make sure the woman doesn't realize the wrong person is sharing the bed.

This is just the beginning of this tale of deception.  In the midst of covering the calamity, they are also trying to determine who killed the brother and sister.  Who would want them dead?  And how did they do it?

There were spots that made me laugh out loud.  I have to admit, I might have been one of those girls who would do that sort of thing when I was growing up.  I had lots of imagination and so do these girls!

Read this book, you won't be bored!