Granted audiobook

A wish is many things. It is apprehension and anticipation. It is lucky coins and dandelion fluff and rainbows stretching to forever. Ophelia Delphinium Fidgets is a fairy of the highest caliber - she has the honor, privilege and responsibility of being a Granter.Granters are the select few who get to leave Haven (their magical safe house (ok, actually a safe tree)) and fly out into the world to grant a human wish.Wish-granting is responsible for all fairy magic...only things have been going wrong latelywishes are being granted.Ophelia has spent her time on desk-work ever since she joined the Granters but...after a few strings are pulled and a few lucky circumstances...she has managed to get her first mission!Only, things go terribly wrong within minutes of flying out and Ophelia is left with a choice - turn round and give up? Or press on and grant that wish - no matter what! (I think you know which one she chooses...)In short - this one was an absolute winner. I loved the fast-paced, hilarious and whimsical world of faries. They were hilarious and touching, sweet but sassy and (above all) an absolute delight to read about!Ophelia was just the kind of heroine I love to read about - she's so smart, determined and strong. She knew what she wanted and how to get there (mostly!). Wishes are made in moments of wonder and desperation. Wishes are prayers without a salutation and minus an amen.And the companions she met along the way were absolutely wonderful - so sweet and kind.This book madeOf course, just because you don't believe in something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. If anything, that just makes it harder when you're suddenly face-to-face with it.Audiobook CommentsExceptionally well-read - absolutely loved listening to this one on audio!YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads

I needed to bury myself in fantasy today, because the state of our nation is... I don't know what it is. But it's not good for a great many people. This book - this magical, wishful, hopeful book - helped a little. Granted's Ophelia Delphinium Fidgets is marvelous. She is so uniquely HER. Anderson did an incredible job with all the voices. I could HEAR them all - Phee, Charlie, Squint, and Sam - as though they were telling me the story of a wish-granting fairy and what is really essential. There is SO MUCH I wish for today. Instead of wishing, I'm going to work to make them come true. But I'll still wish upon that first star in the sky, a coin I flip into a fountain, and the candles on my birthday cake. Because why not?

I checked this one out from the library based solely on the cover. It is an adorable middle grade book about a fairy that is tasked with granting a wish. She is a “granter” but this is her first assignment. Things get messy and complicated and along the way she meets a stray named Sam that helps her out. Sam is awesome. It is a super cute little feel good book about wishes coming true.

Thank you to Walden Pond Press and Edelweiss for an ARC of this soon to be published middle grade novel.Ophelia Delphinium Fidgets is about to go on an odyssey, but she sees it as a few tocks to the destination, one tock to grant a wish and then a quick trip home. You will fall in love with Ophelia and feel her immense frustration as each attempt she makes to finally grant that wish is thwarted again and again. Her journey takes place in the midst of lyrical narratives about the magic of wishes. Grab something cozy to drink and curl up with this imaginative account of a fairy and her first assignment as a Granter.

Who knew a quest into the realm of humans could be so perilous? Or so enthralling and delightful? Someone has wished upon a coin, and now the fairy Ophelia must retrieve that coin to grant the wish. She's sure she's up to the task, but she has severely underestimated all of the obstacles she will encounter. Anderson serves up a nice blend of earnestness, adventure, humor, and subtle worldbuilding. I was a bit hesitant at first, but it didn't take long before I was entirely enchanted.

“A wish is many things. It is hope and desire and daydreams. It is impossibility and improbability and something in between. It is stardust and well water and spectrums of light in the sky. It is half-melted birthday candles and Christmas lists. It is broken turkey bones. It is the willing suspension of disbelief. And sometimes it is desperation. It is a hole in your heart that wants filling. It is more-than-anything-in-the-world.”I WISH....I could share this book with all the children in my life. Had Hermione Granger been born a fairy, she would be Ophelia Delphinium Fidgets, the type-A, sassy, stubborn, big hearted protagonist in this story. A page-turning adventure, Ophelia keeps us laughing while she endures one obstacle after the next in her attempt to keep Magic alive in the human world. Plus, her unlikely sidekick is a hilarious and lovable dog. An awesome story!

Doesn’t reach the heights of Ms. Bixby but I liked it better than Posted. My only real criticism is that there are some unnecessary episodes that, on first reading, may cause the reader to wonder whether there is anything really at stake in this story, or whether this is just a premise and adventure, like a disposable made-for-Hollywood fairytale. But you can trust Anderson. In fact I think he has become one of those authors where I will read anything he writes. Despite the cute naming system and the wish-granting tree, this isn’t similar to Applegate’s Wishtree either, though Anderson is as fine a writer as Applegate, and the plot and premise of this book are more integrated than Wishtree’s. Finally, Sam is (very very) awesome.

4.5 stars

I really liked it! It was very exciting. I definitely recommend this book!!

The hook for me was the cover. Who was riding/being transported willingly by that handsome pup? The answer is Ophelia Dellphinium Figits, a fairy with a mission/assignment/duty to grant a particular wish. She has been chosen for this type of work and has been studying for it for over a year. She is about to find out that book learning can be very different from doing. Surprises and unexpected challenges abound. Ophelia must succeed. A fairy has never failed a wish granting assignment. If she were to fail, life at their home, the Haven, would never be the same. No pressure? She may need some help. Asking for help is not really her style. The human world is very different from the fairy world. Will she succeed? Ophelia is someone that is easy to wish for.

I got this book from Owlcrate Jr March "I WISH" box. To be honest I've never seen or heard about this book or the author anywhere before so I had no expectation on this book. I dove into it blindly, not knowing anything beside it's about a fairy,  well at least the cover said so. PlotThe story follows Ophelia Delphinium Fidget, an ambitious and perfectionist little fairy, actually she's not just an ordinary fairy, she's a granter, the most noble profession among fairies. A granter's job is to make sure every wishes made by human were granted, either the wishes made by blowing up birthday candle, dandelion, wishing on stars, wells, or flipping coins to the fountains, it's a granter's job to grant them. But the granter have to go to the human world to sprinkle their dust on whatever thing human used to make the wish, and it could be quite an adventure.After many years training, Ophelia finally given her first mission, her first wish to grant. She prepared for this moment for her entire life, but the journey she's about to take is not as easy as it seems. Ophelia was faced with so many obstacles in her journey, she was forced to get out of her comfort zone, and surprisingly made an unusual friendship.WritingI love Anderson's writing, it's perfect for middle grade. Simple, enjoyable, and easy to understand. It's full of pun and humorous line.WorldbuildingThe Haven, which is the place where fairies live seems to be a wonderful and well built place. I instantly could imagine how tiny creatures fly from tree to tree, so busy with their own job. I love the idea about how fairies were born and how they got their name, and about various profession of fairies, it was very unique and a fun idea! Ophelia's journey to grant the wish is very adventurous. You could see the human world, our world, from an entirely different perspective.CharactersOphelia is a perfectionist, ambitious, and the most persistent creature I've ever read. She doesn't easily gave up whenever life hit her in the wings. She simply doesn't know how to gave up and she really hate being a failure. Now that seems to be a relatable character.Charlie is Ophelia's best friend, in fact, he was Ophelia's only friend. Charlie, on the other hand is a very lazy and least ambitious fairy,but he's surely a very good friend and has a heart of gold.Sam, is the funniest, most entertaining, straighforward, and lovable character. I always had a good laugh whenever he speaks. And he's the most loyal friend I've ever known!Moral of the Story-You could find friendship even in the strangest places and situations, you just have to admit that you need it. And there will always be someone who look up to you even in your worst of time-No matter how hard life punch you in the wing, or face, you just have to fight back and don't ever give up-Sometimes you'll have to choose to do what other people think is best and to do what YOU think is best even if it cost you something. It's your choice. But you'll have no regret if you do what you're told yourself.

Thank you to John David Anderson for an ARC of this wonderful book! I loved this fantasy! I think it will be a hit among the upper elementary kids at my school. Anderson has a special talent of combining humor, sweetness and meaning in every book he writes. I can truly see this book turned into an animated movie.Update: I have since read this book a second time and currently am reading it AGAIN out loud to my 4th grade son. He so far loves it and keeps saying "one more chapter"! The more I read this book, the more magical it becomes.

Description:From John David Anderson, author of the widely acclaimed and beloved novels Ms. Bixby’s Last Day and Posted, comes Granted, a hilarious, heartfelt, and unforgettable novel about a fairy-in-training and her first wish-granting assignment.Everyone who wishes upon a star, or a candle, or a penny thrown into a fountain knows that you’re not allowed to tell anyone what you’ve wished for. But even so, rest assured: There is someone out there who hears it.Ophelia Delphinium Fidgets is no ordinary fairy—she is a Granter: one of the select few whose job it is to venture beyond the boundaries of the Haven and grant the wishes of unsuspecting humans every day. It’s the work of the Granters that generates the magic that allows the fairies to do what they do and to keep the Haven hidden and safe. But with worldwide magic levels at an all-time low, this is not as easy as it sounds. On a typical day, only a small fraction of the millions of wishes made get granted. And even granting those promised few means navigating a human world fraught with danger.Today, however, is anything but typical. Because today Ophelia is going out on her first assignment. And she’s about to discover that getting what you truly want takes much more than a handful of fairy dust.MY BOOK REVIEW:My thanks to Harper Collins Children for this ARC to read and provide my honest review.What a ride! I absolutely loved this middle-Grade book by Anderson.  If you love books about fairies, wish granting, dreams and magic, this book is for you. I couldn’t put this book down. It read smoothly transitioning from one plot twist to another with ease. What I loved the most about this book is the author’s voice. John David Anderson’s ability to weave a story is well… magical. The characters leap off the pages and the magical journey that the Protagonist faces  is quite the adventure!This book wraps the meaning of dreams, wishes, family, magic and especially fairies around your heart and it is sure to leave you smiling and wanting more when you turn that last page.The plot flows well. The Protagonist’s determination to fulfill her “assignment” sways from the path to success when one plot twist after another keeps her just out of reach of achieving her goals.  The pace is steady and exciting and the characters are charming and relatable.I love the cover. It’s true meaning will make sense once you’ve read the book.

I personally thought this was wildly different than anything else Anderson has done recently but his sharp dialogue and meticulous plotting is still evident. Ophelia is fully realized and Sam is the perfect sidekick. I think Dreamworks or Pixar should snatch the rights to this title up fast, as it would make a fantastic animated feature. If it would not have taken so long for the story to get moving, this would have been a 5-star rating all the way, for me. I can't pinpoint any specific details that didn't work, it's just that there are so many details about the fairy world given to the reader (Anderson has literally thought of EVERYTHING) that there are times when it felt like it slowed down the story. I could feel Anderson addressing this structurally, as he crafted his chapters. He would break up the action by ending a chapter on a cliffhanger, then beginning the next chapter by giving the reader some more information about the fairy way (backstory, lore, filler) before picking up where the cliffhanger ended. I really think Anderson is coming into his own as one of the most consistently good storytellers in children's literature. There are so many layers to GRANTED and in my opinion it is his most polished, complete story to date.