Be careful what you wish for…

When young Thurston Pickering opens a mysterious jar he’s found in the attic of his old house, he gets more than he bargained for. Soon, a green-skinned genie named Malthasar appears, charming the thirteen fireflies Thurston has collected in the jar. Each one offers a wish, a chance to fix every problem in Thurston’s life, with extra to spare.

Good thing. For a twelve-year-old, Thurston has more than his fair share of trouble. No one at school seems to notice him—except for Jason Bean and his pack of bullies. His parents are so busy fighting with each other, they forgot his last birthday. Worst of all, his beloved dog Mollet has recently died, leaving him feeling more alone than ever.

But with each wish, Thurston’s life takes a darker and stranger twist, and what at first seems like helpful advice from Malthasar turns out to be something quite different. Can Thurston discover the genie’s true designs—and a way to stop them—before it’s too late?

Written for the ten-year-old in all of us, I Wish I May combines twisted humor with modern fantasy to create a satire that speaks to how we approach life’s hardships. This cautionary fable takes the conventions of comic books and cartoons and examines them in a real-world setting, presenting the reader with a tightly woven narrative that is at turns darkly funny and tartly sweet.

“Middle graders will cheer Thurston onward in this quick-moving fantasy adventure that speaks to the question boys ask themselves so often: ‘I wonder what would happen if I just …?’ A warm welcome to this new would-be hero and his un-put-down-able story with its deliciously old-fashioned and unexpected ending.”    — Beth Kanell, author of The Darkness Under the Water and The Secret Room

“This is my kind of book.  Everything about it is well-done–the writing, the style, the humor and the sadness and frustration too, and the slow, well developed build-up of Thurston’s world unraveling more and more as his wishes turn out worse and worse.  This is the type of book I’d love to read if I were a kid–girl or boy.  Heck, I loved reading it as a forty-something.  Whatever your age, pick this one up and I guarantee you’ll enjoy it too!”  –Nikki Bennett, author and book blogger @ Nik’s Picks

“I Wish I May is a great book for boys, and girls will also like it. Stahler brings creativity to an old tale, particularly with the way Thurston has to redeem his wishes and the interplay between Thurston’s genie and another. I recommend it for book clubs with boys or girls aged 8 to 12.” —Cindy Hudson, author of Book by Book: The Complete Guide to Creating Mother-Daughter Book Clubs

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Check out the story behind I Wish I May here…