Four siblings are having a plain old boring summer when one of them finds a nickel in the crack on the sidewalk. Then, a careless remark that she wished something exciting would happen and it actually sort of HAPPENS...that nickel turns out to not be a nickel at all...but a magic talisman that grants half wishes...
Suddenly summer isn't so boring anymore as the kids learn to ask for the adventures of their dreams. They discover that things can turn out quite differently than they ever expected and that a boring, regular life might not be so bad after all...
This is a really light, fun read. Not too long not too short. I think it would be perfect for 7-12 year olds, depending on their reading level. As it was first published in the 1950s, it deals with the realities of life for many children - in this instance, living with a widowed mother and accepting her eventual remarriage.
While it's not a very captivating read for an adult, it is still entertaining and I think for the YA crowd, it could become a new favorite.