A fun quick read for my 7 year old

Everyone knows that a genie should be able to grant three wishes.

However, the blue genie that emerges from the mysterious glass bottle that eight-year-old Emma finds on a beach can’t grant even one wish. Karim’s magic nose ring has been stolen, leaving him smaller, powerless and trapped in the green bottle – until now.

Emma and her dog Tristan join Karim in a journey via a magic carpet to a desert land to find the powerful caliph of Barakash, Karim’s master. Once there, they face deadly spiders, scorpions and other dangers in a quest to regain Karim’s magic powers – and to free the land from the clutches of the evil caliph.

Emma proves to be a courageous, spirited (but believable) heroine in this engaging fantasy tale of friendship and adventure, which would be a great pick for younger readers who are new to reading chapter books. Featuring short chapters, this new fairy tale has plenty of illustrations, and concludes with an unexpected twist.

Cornelia Funke is also the author of such popular children’s titles as The Thief Lord and Inkheart.