My fifth-grade son and I love Dan Gutman. We enjoyed The Homework Machine and Return of the Homework Machine, and The Christmas Genie was just as good. When Mrs. Walters' fifth-grade class gets the chance to make a Christmas wish, they have very different ideas of what to wish for. The book is funny and fast-paced. The dialogue between the kids sounded just like conversations that my son and his friends have. The book also led to some good discussions about what we would wish for if we were given the opportunity. ( )

Successful chapter book holiday titles are a rare beast, but this one is laugh-out loud funny. There are definitely teaching moments if this book, but it's real value lies in how much fun it is to read. It's 160 pages are well-paaced. ( )