Genie Wishes — Elisabeth Dahl

This sweet, funny novel follows fifth-grader Genie Kunkle through a tumultuous year. From the first day of school, Genie knows there will be good, bad, and in-between. The good? She's in homeroom with her best friend, Sarah. The bad? Sarah's friend from camp, Blair, is a new student at their school, and is itching to take Genie's place as Sarah's BFF. The in-between? Genie is excited to be elected to write her class's blog, where she's tasked with tracking the wishes and dreams of her class. But expressing her opinion in public can be scary -- especially when her opinion might make the rest of her class upset.

Elisabeth Dahl authentically captures the ups and downs of a tween girl's life, and the dramas -- both little and big -- that fill the scary transition between childhood and adolescence.