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caseyadamsstark's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A fun and clever series of adventures for grade school kids, but it’s important to take them in the context of when they were published.
Five siblings (actually 4, because the fifth is too young to speak intelligibly) find a sand fairy, AKA a wish granter, and they harass it into giving the children one wish a day. Needless to say, these are children, and their half thought out wishes get them in trouble more often than not. It leads to that often used moral, "be careful what you wish for…"
But the children in this story step up to the challenge of fixing things after their wishes have gone wrong and, eventually, they learn from it.
Keep in mind, though, that this story were written in 1902. Written by Edith Nesbit, I'm happy to point out that even back then, a story could be written to pass the Bechdel test (my apparent reviewer theme for 2023), but it does not depict Indians well. They are literally described in the story as redskins, and the children dress up like redskins to the point where they paint their faces red. But this was 1902, and considering this, maybe you can give the lack of cultural sensitivity a pass. There are gypsies and carnival barkers too, and while the narrative alludes to these people as being dirty and poor schemers and connivers in a general sense, the Gypsies and carnival barkers in general don’t come across as inherently bad people. Nor do the Natives, for that matter.
There are also a few moments of the boys downplaying the importance of women or girls, but at least the girls don’t play into those stereotypes too heavily. So, in context, this was a fun read. If these kinds of sensitivities are bothersome, the reader can always skip over those chapters if they want, because each chapter is a new day and a new wish.
Five siblings (actually 4, because the fifth is too young to speak intelligibly) find a sand fairy, AKA a wish granter, and they harass it into giving the children one wish a day. Needless to say, these are children, and their half thought out wishes get them in trouble more often than not. It leads to that often used moral, "be careful what you wish for…"
But the children in this story step up to the challenge of fixing things after their wishes have gone wrong and, eventually, they learn from it.
Keep in mind, though, that this story were written in 1902. Written by Edith Nesbit, I'm happy to point out that even back then, a story could be written to pass the Bechdel test (my apparent reviewer theme for 2023), but it does not depict Indians well. They are literally described in the story as redskins, and the children dress up like redskins to the point where they paint their faces red. But this was 1902, and considering this, maybe you can give the lack of cultural sensitivity a pass. There are gypsies and carnival barkers too, and while the narrative alludes to these people as being dirty and poor schemers and connivers in a general sense, the Gypsies and carnival barkers in general don’t come across as inherently bad people. Nor do the Natives, for that matter.
There are also a few moments of the boys downplaying the importance of women or girls, but at least the girls don’t play into those stereotypes too heavily. So, in context, this was a fun read. If these kinds of sensitivities are bothersome, the reader can always skip over those chapters if they want, because each chapter is a new day and a new wish.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying and Racial slurs
euphemiajo's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Cultural appropriation
joctrem's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
These children are insufferable
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism