SOLVED. Children's - Girl jealous and makes wish to (fairy?) to switch places - Fifth Grade Magic by Beatrice Gormley [s]

[Sarah]

I probably read this sometime in the mid-90s as a middle schooler. I remember there was a main character girl who loved being an actress, but didn't think she was as pretty as the (possibly blonde?) other girl who was auditioning for the latest play at school. The other girl got cast as the lead, while our main girl was cast in a big character role - evil stepmother or witch or something. She wasn't thrilled when the cast list was posted, and made a wish - possibly to a fairy who apparated to her (possibly who bungled things often too, but I may be mixing up a few stories at this point). Anyway, she wakes up having switched bodies with the other girl, and spends all day miserable and missing her mom and family and so on, no one of whom recognizes her as her. The other girl is really mad when they meet up, too. Finally, they manage to switch back and the main character goes on to be happy about giving her performance as the (stepmother/witch/whatever) in the play.

Any thoughts?

[Jessica]

I KNOW this book! Oh, crap! Yes, it turns out to be a student fairy godmother, so she keeps messing up the wishes. She wishes that the blonde girl's hair gets cut off so that she won't look the part any more, but the teacher finds her a wig. So then she wishes she gets chicken pox, but the fairy godmother mistakes her for a boy in the class with the same haircut. I can picture the cover: a girl in her room with someone glowing blue holding a sort of remote control. The control is what makes the wishes happen.

Now I want to find this as well!

[Jessica]

Also, I read this in grade school in the 1980's.

[Cathy]

Sounds like Fifth Grade Magic.

[Sarah]

That cover looks familiar...I think that's it! Thank you both!!

[Jessica]

That's the book I was thinking of for sure!