Wishes and Wellingtons

This was a very enjoyable Audible Original audiobook and well worth a listen. Maeve is my favorite little girl! Now, there is a bit of the “not like other girls” trope in here, and Maeve is special and unique because she likes “boy” things and doesn't understand “girl” things and thinks they're dumb and frivolous. However, I reminded myself that this was set in the late 1800s, so I believe these attitudes would be realistic. That being said, this is a story about a djinni in a sardine tin... we don't need realistic. However, Maeve values the differences in her roommate, so she isn't one of those female characters who perpetuates the idea that girls can't be friends with other girls. I think the author is trying to show other girls who listen to this story that liking sports that are traditionally only played by boys, or other “boy” things, is more than acceptable and perfectly normal. There are better ways to do that, so I couldn't give this 5 stars.

But oh dear did I love this story. I loved the “hate to friends” trope and thought it was well executed. The friend group was fantastic, and I really liked how they encouraged each other but never pushed. I absolutely loved that there were actual consequences for these children when they acted like fools and broke rules. Maeve learned some really difficult lessons from those consequences too. I think in general this is a great story for kids, but I would caution parents to discuss downfalls I mentioned with their kids and use it as a learning opportunity. I would hate for little girls who love fashion to read this and feel silly and mindless because of Maeve's opinions.