The Summer My Wishes Came True

By Author / Illustrator

Radhika Sanghani

Genre

Magical Realism

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

Usborne

ISBN

9781805318293

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

02-07-2026

Synopsis

When everything she wishes for starts coming true, Ayesha discovers what will really make her happy. A book about tween friendships, with a sprinkling of magic, from award-winning journalist and author Radhika Sanghani. Perfect for fans of Lottie Brooks and Dork Diaries.

Ayesha can't wait for summer camp, it's going to be the best two weeks ever with her best friend Nikki. But Nikki's changed over the summer and things don't feel the same between them. When Ayesha overhears Nikki telling their roommates she's immature, Ayesha is embarrassed and wishes her life could be different.

The next day Ayesha realizes everything she wishes for is coming true. Lie-in in the morning? Tick! Pizza for lunch? Tick! Nikki to be her best friend? Tick! Suddenly Nikki's hanging out with her again, and then Ayesha wishes for Nikki to get a part in the camp's musical, and now she's playing the lead role.

But their friendship still isn't the same. Ayesha thinks she needs a part in the musical too, so she makes another wish, even if her actions have taken a role in the musical from someone else who would really love it. She's got everything she's ever wished for, but will her wishes really make her happy? This summer isn't turning out to be everything she hoped for...

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Reviews

Sam

Ayesha can't wait for Summer Camp. This summer will be her first time away and she and her best friend, Nikki have already sorted the outfits they are going to take with them, even before Nikki went to New York with her 'dreadful' stepmother. However, when Nikki returns from her time in New York, she seems very different, much more like the trendy girls they are sharing their cabin with at camp, and Ayesha quickly begins to feel left out. When Ayesha overhears Nikki saying some mean things about her, she is understandably upset and runs off on her own. She just wishes things could be more like they were before . . .

From that moment on, everything Ayesha wishes for comes true: being able to stay in bed later in the morning, her favourite meal choices, warm showers, no obstacle races; camp life is perfect for Ayesha, although her relationship with Nikki is still not quite what it was. What more can she do to make things between her and her bff right?

So, while the idea of being able to wish for anything you desire is, in this instance, fictional, it is no doubt something we all might 'wish for'. However, is it right to wish for something at the expense of another person? This raises numerous questions that would make for a great discussion: Should one person's needs be more important than another's? Are there times you might make an exception to this argument? These related questions could be broached in such a way to fit any class or group situation.

The Summer My Wishes Came True is a fab quick summer read, and not just because of its name! It is an insightful story about the lives of young teenage girls and the challenges of friendship and self-discovery. I enjoyed the simple, yet relatable, story line and I'm sure many young readers will be able to sympathise with Ayesha when she starts to feel her friend from primary school 'pulling away', or when she really doesn't know where or how she can fit in.

This is an ideal read for most upper KS2 readers, particularly since I am sure that many of the behaviours and emotions described are so relatable to this age group, which is why I was quite surprised to read that Ayesha and Nikki were 13 years of age and soon to be moving into Year 9. I may need to read Radhika Sanghani's other books: The Girl Who Couldn't Lie or How To Get Magically Popular, to see if I can 'see' more of the KS3 students that I have taught in them!

256 pages / Reviewed by Sam, teacher