XANDER AND THE PEN

Following a track laid down in the series opener, Ruby and the Pen (2023), an Australian boy discovers that a magic wish-granting pen is more curse than blessing.

Xander is bullied by the self-styled Bruise Brothers, Tony and Jeff Clagg—who are cast as comically stupid young thugs with an equally thuggish dad—and even his sneering math teacher. So, he’s delighted to discover that the golden pen he finds floating in his toilet draws pictures that come true. In practically no time, athletic younger sister Phoebe is out of the wheelchair she’s used since her accident and running again, his father catches a special fish and wins a large monetary prize, and Xander himself improbably garners a spot representing his school in a national math contest in Canberra. But each seeming triumph quickly turns sour: Soon his once funny and loving parents are squabbling, and he’s alienated his friends. Worse yet, under the pen’s influence, his formerly bubbly disposition takes an ominous turn to the bitter and spiteful. Luckily, Xander has a moral compass in Phoebe. Readers will cheer Xander on as he resolutely sets out to right matters and, for finishing touches, see the nefarious pen and all three Clagg louts justly dealt with. Occasional black-and-white illustrations enhance the text. Main characters appear white; some secondary characters are cued as ethnically diverse.

A light tone, deep issues, and good and bad choices to ponder.