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Wishing Moon
 Aminah is an orphan living on the streets of Al-Kal'as. When she appeals to the princess for help, the black-hearted wife of Aladdin throws an old lamp at her head. The lamp holds an obstreperous jinni who informs Aminah that she can make three wishes after each full moon. With the jinni's magic, Aminah regains security and comfort, and she even assembles a makeshift family. Still, Aminah cannot achieve true happiness until she has improved the lives of the people she left behind. Meanwhile, the power-hungry princess hunts down Aminah and the lamp. Will Aminah's good deeds lead to her demise? This fanciful yarn about what happens to the lamp after Aladdin will enchant readers who relish action, adventure, fantasy, and humor.
Buy Wishing Moon on Amazon.com.
Recogniton:
- Starred review in Kirkus
- A Parents’ Choice Recommended Book
- The 2004 Utah Book Award (sponsored by the Utah Center for the Book)
- Master List, Utah Beehive Book Award (Young Adult category)
- Master List, Nebraska Golden Sower Award (Young Adult category)
What the Critics Said:
“In this captivating original sequel to Aladdin, the genie gets a real workout when its lamp falls into the hands of an orphaned street child. Fourteen-year-old Aminah's bleak future takes a wild turn for the better when an old lamp sails out of the palace window and hits her on the head. But rather than use her wishes to live in splendor or to punish enemies, Aminah flummoxes the genie by searching out decent-hearted people engaged in helping the poor and endowing them with magical abilities. Predictably, the petulant, mercurial genie-who tends to show anger by spitting snakes, or blowing up its own head-steals the show, but Aminah puts in a sturdy performance too, as an idealistic but not entirely naive do-gooder with a temper of her own, and plenty of gumption. Modern sounding dialogue-"I wish you'd settle down!"-and the genie's breezily cryptic references to pizza, New York, and other items from Aminah's future give the tale a contemporary tone without spoiling the Arabian Nights flavor. Tunnell adds suspense with a subplot involving the efforts of Aladdin's evil wife to recover the lamp, and closes with a perfectly executed twist.” (Kirkus Reviews—Starred Review)
“… rich characterizations and a strong, suspenseful plot worthy of the Arabian Nights.” (Booklist)
“Tunnell’s humor will keep the reader laughing throughout . . .” (VOYA)
“The deserts, the bazaars, the narrow streets are described vividly by Tunnell, to make an exotic story . . .” (KLIATT)
“… all the requirements of a satisfying fairy-tale elaboration . . . fast-moving and suspenseful enough to hold readers’ interest.” (School Library Journal)
"This entertaining novel may well become a new classic for young readers." (Francine Thomas, Children's Literature)
Additional Features:
This is a modern-day suq or marketplace in Bahrain. Still, the experience of visiting a suq in the Middle East also helped me prepare to write Wishing Moon. |
This painting, which I also picked up in Bahrain, is what I envision Aminah’s new home might look like. |
This is the Mediterranean Sea, not too far south of Tyre. It is the spot I imagined when I created the scene where Aminah first experiences swimming in the sea. |
I visited Jordan, Egypt, and Israel, too. This is the old city wall surrounding Jerusalem. It was my model for the wall that surrounds Al-Kal’as where Aminah lives.
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Here is a lamp much like Aminah’s. I picked it up in Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. My travels in the Middle East helped me visualize the setting and culture in this story. |
Wishing Moon. Dutton, 2004. (Novel)
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