What do you think?
Rate this book
Best Wishes #4
Like a Boss
Pass the wishes on! This New York Times bestselling multi-author series is like American Girl with magic.
In this installment, written by acclaimed authors Sarah Mlynowski and Hena Khan, the magic, wish-granting bracelet lands with a girl in Washington, D.C., who ends up being put in charge of... well, everything!
Maya Amir of Washington, D.C. is having a bad day. Her family visiting from out of town have taken over her room, and worst of all, an annoying classmate has taken over the Environmental Club but doesn't seem to care about the environment the way Maya does.
Then Maya receives a mysterious, magic bracelet in the mail from Lucy, a girl in Fort Worth, Texas, who had the bracelet last time. The bracelet grants wishes and Maya is having a hard time deciding what to wish for. Until she accidentally wishes to be in charge during a meeting of the Environmental Club. Suddenly, Maya is the head of the club!
At first, Maya is thrilled by her newfound authority. That is, until everyone starts asking for her help! Her teacher leaves the classroom to her for a day and then the principal of her entire school puts Maya in charge. One day, the President of the United States shows up with a very important Maya needs to step in as Commander-in-Chief! How can she say no?
Maya does her best but soon, she's overwhelmed by her newfound responsibilities, and she's terrified she's going to let everyone down. With the support of her new long-distance friends, Addie, Becca, and Lucy, and some help from her family, can Maya untangle the bracelet's magic, all while learning what it means to be a real leader?
In this installment, written by acclaimed authors Sarah Mlynowski and Hena Khan, the magic, wish-granting bracelet lands with a girl in Washington, D.C., who ends up being put in charge of... well, everything!
Maya Amir of Washington, D.C. is having a bad day. Her family visiting from out of town have taken over her room, and worst of all, an annoying classmate has taken over the Environmental Club but doesn't seem to care about the environment the way Maya does.
Then Maya receives a mysterious, magic bracelet in the mail from Lucy, a girl in Fort Worth, Texas, who had the bracelet last time. The bracelet grants wishes and Maya is having a hard time deciding what to wish for. Until she accidentally wishes to be in charge during a meeting of the Environmental Club. Suddenly, Maya is the head of the club!
At first, Maya is thrilled by her newfound authority. That is, until everyone starts asking for her help! Her teacher leaves the classroom to her for a day and then the principal of her entire school puts Maya in charge. One day, the President of the United States shows up with a very important Maya needs to step in as Commander-in-Chief! How can she say no?
Maya does her best but soon, she's overwhelmed by her newfound responsibilities, and she's terrified she's going to let everyone down. With the support of her new long-distance friends, Addie, Becca, and Lucy, and some help from her family, can Maya untangle the bracelet's magic, all while learning what it means to be a real leader?
192 pages, Hardcover
First published November 12, 2024
About the author
Sarah Mlynowski
174 books3,375 followersSarah was born in Montreal, Canada. After graduating with an honors degree in English literature from McGill University, she moved to Toronto to work for Harlequin Enterprises. While she never met Fabio, she used her romance publishing experiences to fuel her first novel Milkrun.
Since then, Sarah has written four additional novels for adults: Fishbowl, As Seen on TV, Monkey Business, and Me vs. Me; the New York Times bestselling middle grade series Whatever After; the middle grade series Upside-Down Magic (with Lauren Myracle and Emily Jenkins); and the teen novels Bras & Broomsticks, Frogs & French Kisses, Spells & Sleeping Bags, and Parties & Potions (all in the Magic in Manhattan series), as well as Gimme a Call, Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have), Don't Even Think About It, Think Twice, and I See London, I See France. Along with Lauren Myracle and E. Lockhart, Sarah also wrote How to Be Bad, and along with Farrin Jacobs, she wrote See Jane Write, a guide to writing. Sarah also co-edited two bestselling charity collections (Girls' Night In and Girls' Night Out), and has contributed to various anthologies (American Girls About Town, Sixteen: Stories About That Sweet and Bitter Birthday, 21 Proms, First Kiss (Then Tell), Fireworks, and Vacations from Hell).
Sarah is also a co-founder of OMG BookFest, a celebration of books aimed at the early to middle grade reader (ages 7-12) that brings together commercial and award-winning authors with underserved local communities for an exciting experience of books, games and activities.
Sarah's books have been translated into twenty-nine languages and optioned to Hollywood. She now lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.
Since then, Sarah has written four additional novels for adults: Fishbowl, As Seen on TV, Monkey Business, and Me vs. Me; the New York Times bestselling middle grade series Whatever After; the middle grade series Upside-Down Magic (with Lauren Myracle and Emily Jenkins); and the teen novels Bras & Broomsticks, Frogs & French Kisses, Spells & Sleeping Bags, and Parties & Potions (all in the Magic in Manhattan series), as well as Gimme a Call, Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have), Don't Even Think About It, Think Twice, and I See London, I See France. Along with Lauren Myracle and E. Lockhart, Sarah also wrote How to Be Bad, and along with Farrin Jacobs, she wrote See Jane Write, a guide to writing. Sarah also co-edited two bestselling charity collections (Girls' Night In and Girls' Night Out), and has contributed to various anthologies (American Girls About Town, Sixteen: Stories About That Sweet and Bitter Birthday, 21 Proms, First Kiss (Then Tell), Fireworks, and Vacations from Hell).
Sarah is also a co-founder of OMG BookFest, a celebration of books aimed at the early to middle grade reader (ages 7-12) that brings together commercial and award-winning authors with underserved local communities for an exciting experience of books, games and activities.
Sarah's books have been translated into twenty-nine languages and optioned to Hollywood. She now lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 11, 2024
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Maya Amir lives in Washington, D.C. with her parents, older siblings, and Dadi, her grandmother who used to be the head of an environmental protection agency in Pakistan before she came to live with them. When her mom's cousin and daughter come to visit, Maya has to double up with Dadi, and also gets an intriguing package in the mail. It's a sparkly bracelet, and it has a note with it. Soon, she's video chatting with Becca (from Best Wishes), Addie (The Sister Switch), and Lucy (Time After Time), who has sent the bracelet to Maya after getting caught in a time loop! They all warn Maya about the importance of making a good wish, and also tell her to watch out for Eloise, who is trying to steal the bracelet. Maya is excited about the opportunity, but finds it very hard to make decisions, so doesn't make the decision right away. When she has an environmental club meeting, Maya wavers long enough that her best friend Hazel volunteers to be the president. Maya doesn't mind so much, but when Hazel doesn't jump right in to actual environmental issues, she's concerned. Putting glitter on posters and buying promotional sunglasses is BAD for the environment, and when talking to another club member, Maya wishes that she were in charge. The bracelet gets warm, and the faculty advisor puts Maya in charge! Not only that, but when she gets home, Dadi asks what she wants for dinner. Basically, everything that needs to be decided gets turned over to Maya, who is in charge of EVERYTHING. After a disastrous couple of days at school, where she is put in charge of a classroom and then the entire school, Maya begins to realize that she should have made a more careful wish. After having to consult with her parents on their IRAs and her siblings on what colleges they should attend, the secret service come to whisk Maya away to meet the president. Dadi insists on going with her. The president says that he's going away and wants Maya to be in charge. The White House staff supply her with suits, and she's off making policy. When the vice president tries to sabotage the climate meeting that Maya is in charge of, Dadi suggest that she make a committee of people she trusts. Maya calls her family to the White House, and they help her make a lot of policies. Eloise tries to get in to the secured area with a blow torch to take off the bracelet, and is summarily arrested! Once the environmental issues are resolved, the family bowls and has a celebratory dinner, but then Maya gets to go home. She meets up with the other girls, and sends the bracelet on to someone named Emma, who will no doubt have as exciting a time as Maya did!
Strengths: As adults, we forget how little control kids have over their days. Just this past year, I asked a student what he was doing for the weekend, and he replied "Whatever my parents tell me I'm doing, I guess!" Being IN CHARGE would be very appealing to a ten year old, even one who might struggle with making decisions. I love Maya's interest in the environment, and Dadi is a great character; I was glad that she went to the White House with Maya. Of course, a lot of the things Maya is put in charge of get out of hand in goofy ways, and the vice president is over-the-top evil, but that just makes the situation all the funnier. I love how each of these books grants wishes in a unique way.
Weaknesses: For some reason, I would rather that the girl receiving the bracelet didn't get anything but a brief note from the previous recipient. No matter what they say, things are going to go wrong somehow, and it would be more mysterious if there were limited direction on how to use the bracelet.
What I really think: This series is a quick, fun read, and the illustrations add to the appeal. I enjoy the fact that the wishes don't turn out too horribly, and the girls always learn something. There are a lot of middle school students who can use some help with making decisions, so this is a great topic to focus on. When I was Maya's age, I thought I wanted to be president of the United States, so I would have loved this one.
Maya Amir lives in Washington, D.C. with her parents, older siblings, and Dadi, her grandmother who used to be the head of an environmental protection agency in Pakistan before she came to live with them. When her mom's cousin and daughter come to visit, Maya has to double up with Dadi, and also gets an intriguing package in the mail. It's a sparkly bracelet, and it has a note with it. Soon, she's video chatting with Becca (from Best Wishes), Addie (The Sister Switch), and Lucy (Time After Time), who has sent the bracelet to Maya after getting caught in a time loop! They all warn Maya about the importance of making a good wish, and also tell her to watch out for Eloise, who is trying to steal the bracelet. Maya is excited about the opportunity, but finds it very hard to make decisions, so doesn't make the decision right away. When she has an environmental club meeting, Maya wavers long enough that her best friend Hazel volunteers to be the president. Maya doesn't mind so much, but when Hazel doesn't jump right in to actual environmental issues, she's concerned. Putting glitter on posters and buying promotional sunglasses is BAD for the environment, and when talking to another club member, Maya wishes that she were in charge. The bracelet gets warm, and the faculty advisor puts Maya in charge! Not only that, but when she gets home, Dadi asks what she wants for dinner. Basically, everything that needs to be decided gets turned over to Maya, who is in charge of EVERYTHING. After a disastrous couple of days at school, where she is put in charge of a classroom and then the entire school, Maya begins to realize that she should have made a more careful wish. After having to consult with her parents on their IRAs and her siblings on what colleges they should attend, the secret service come to whisk Maya away to meet the president. Dadi insists on going with her. The president says that he's going away and wants Maya to be in charge. The White House staff supply her with suits, and she's off making policy. When the vice president tries to sabotage the climate meeting that Maya is in charge of, Dadi suggest that she make a committee of people she trusts. Maya calls her family to the White House, and they help her make a lot of policies. Eloise tries to get in to the secured area with a blow torch to take off the bracelet, and is summarily arrested! Once the environmental issues are resolved, the family bowls and has a celebratory dinner, but then Maya gets to go home. She meets up with the other girls, and sends the bracelet on to someone named Emma, who will no doubt have as exciting a time as Maya did!
Strengths: As adults, we forget how little control kids have over their days. Just this past year, I asked a student what he was doing for the weekend, and he replied "Whatever my parents tell me I'm doing, I guess!" Being IN CHARGE would be very appealing to a ten year old, even one who might struggle with making decisions. I love Maya's interest in the environment, and Dadi is a great character; I was glad that she went to the White House with Maya. Of course, a lot of the things Maya is put in charge of get out of hand in goofy ways, and the vice president is over-the-top evil, but that just makes the situation all the funnier. I love how each of these books grants wishes in a unique way.
Weaknesses: For some reason, I would rather that the girl receiving the bracelet didn't get anything but a brief note from the previous recipient. No matter what they say, things are going to go wrong somehow, and it would be more mysterious if there were limited direction on how to use the bracelet.
What I really think: This series is a quick, fun read, and the illustrations add to the appeal. I enjoy the fact that the wishes don't turn out too horribly, and the girls always learn something. There are a lot of middle school students who can use some help with making decisions, so this is a great topic to focus on. When I was Maya's age, I thought I wanted to be president of the United States, so I would have loved this one.
September 30, 2025
Maya has been waiting for an exciting environmental club after school. Her friend Hazel becomes president of the club and sees her ideas revolve around using plastic. Then when she goes home her cousins that are visiting take over her room, the family skips an exciting plan, and she has to sleep somewhere else in the house uncomfortable. Then she gets a bracelet and wishes to “Be in charge” but being in charge has way more to do with than the environmental club.
I found this story interesting and I found it similar in a way to Becca’s wish (wanting everybody to be her friend) because they both revolved around becoming the centre of attention. The part where she struggles to make decisions is relatable and the FaceTime with the president was funny.
This story did feel a bit more fast paced and ended sooner than the other books (at page 173.) However that’s okay because looks like there’s going to be a book 5 and we’ll hear from Maya as a side character. I’ll give 4 stars.
I found this story interesting and I found it similar in a way to Becca’s wish (wanting everybody to be her friend) because they both revolved around becoming the centre of attention. The part where she struggles to make decisions is relatable and the FaceTime with the president was funny.
This story did feel a bit more fast paced and ended sooner than the other books (at page 173.) However that’s okay because looks like there’s going to be a book 5 and we’ll hear from Maya as a side character. I’ll give 4 stars.
December 14, 2024
5th grader Maya Amir is the next recipient of the magical bracelet. She really wanted to be the president of the environmental club, but when her best friend Hazel stepped up and volunteered, Maya didn't want to run against her. But Hazel wanted to plan posters that included a bunch of glitter and plastic and disregarded Maya's idea to recycle. If only Maya was the boss! But, of course her wish comes true, but being the boss (of everything) isn't what she wanted.
AJ and I have loved this series. It's fun to anticipate the problems. We love that the girls from the other stories are available for Maya to bounce ideas off of, and to be a support when things get bad. Lots of real environmental ideas as well. We especially loved Maya's grandmother Dadi - she's wise and funny.
AJ and I have loved this series. It's fun to anticipate the problems. We love that the girls from the other stories are available for Maya to bounce ideas off of, and to be a support when things get bad. Lots of real environmental ideas as well. We especially loved Maya's grandmother Dadi - she's wise and funny.
November 14, 2024
This is about a girl named Maya Amir. Maya wants to be president of the environmental club, but her best friend Hazel gets to be president instead. Shortly after that Maya wishes to be in charge she thought she would just be in charge of the environmental club, but she ends up president of DC! The author is Sarah Mlynowski! I love this author but this is not her best book!🥺🥺I'm sorry to those of you who love this book but, its not great
December 30, 2024
Another interesting book in the series. The authors definitely took creative liberties to make the story work, because even with a wish, some of these ideas seem quite extensive. Nonetheless, I'd recommend this series to late elementary students grades 3-6ish. It's cute and fun.
eligible-in-2025
November 4, 2024Thanks, Ms. Yingling! https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
December 2, 2024
This was a fun, fast read, and even though I hadn't read the first books in the series, I wasn't lost. I enjoyed the premise, characters, and resolution. The writing was breezy. Very enjoyable.
December 27, 2024
This wasn;t my favorite of the series and while I appreciated the moral of the story, it fell flat for me.
January 21, 2025
Soooooooo good!!!!!
This book was AMAZING! I loved it sooooooo much! There is nothing I could say about this that is bad. I strongly recommend this to you
This book was AMAZING! I loved it sooooooo much! There is nothing I could say about this that is bad. I strongly recommend this to you
January 29, 2025
Good but little too young
February 13, 2025
I’m really glad the co authors are bringing me cultures I don’t know a lot about. Cute fun stories.
February 17, 2025
3.5. Part of the series best wishes
February 24, 2025
Love the series and the book. 😁
March 3, 2025
I wish there were more books in this series.
March 23, 2025
Another fun book in this charming series.
September 8, 2025
The bracelet has found a new home with an ambitious preteen whose having trouble finding her place at home and at school.
February 9, 2026
My kiddos and I love the Best Wishes Series!
August 2, 2025
Each of these books follow the same basic story beats. There's the set up where the new main character and her problem are introduced. Then there's the inciting incident, some last straw that will force her hand into making a hasty, ill conceived of wish The bulk of the book will then be the escalating consequences of that wish until the main character is forced to confront her original problem head on, thus releasing her from the wish.
This one culminates with Maya briefly standing in for the President of the United States. I think if I'd read the book last year that detail would have read very differently. In the current political state of things, that twist really soured an otherwise fun book.
https://pussreboots.com/blog/2025/com...
This one culminates with Maya briefly standing in for the President of the United States. I think if I'd read the book last year that detail would have read very differently. In the current political state of things, that twist really soured an otherwise fun book.
https://pussreboots.com/blog/2025/com...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2025
3.5 stars
The concept of this book, while similar to the first book's magic, was more well developed and showed how Maya's passions often got in the way of making meaningful changes when she only focused on what she thought was right, an important lesson that was explored by the end of the book. However, I did not enjoy the scenes where Maya became president of the country after the president left to go to the beach and she was left to make the climate change agreement, it seemed too similar to current issues and could have been easily toned down to make the political content more neutral for the young audience.
The concept of this book, while similar to the first book's magic, was more well developed and showed how Maya's passions often got in the way of making meaningful changes when she only focused on what she thought was right, an important lesson that was explored by the end of the book. However, I did not enjoy the scenes where Maya became president of the country after the president left to go to the beach and she was left to make the climate change agreement, it seemed too similar to current issues and could have been easily toned down to make the political content more neutral for the young audience.
May 26, 2025
I am such a fan of Sarah Mlynowski’s work, as you know, and this newest book is no different. Like a Boss, the newest book in the Best Wishes series, tackles another wish that seems like a good idea (being in charge of everything) and in the end the reader learns that not everything is so clear cut.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews