11 Birthdays: A Wish Novel

Wendy Mass

11 Birthdays: A Wish Novel

Wendy Mass
43 pages1-hour read
Fiction
Novel
Middle Grade
Published in 2009

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

Amanda is an eleven-year-old girl who feels increasingly alienated after a falling-out with her former best friend, Leo. She harbors anxieties about her social standing, which drives her to endure stressful gymnastics tryouts instead of pursuing her true passion for the marching band. When she wakes up to find her disappointing eleventh birthday repeating itself, she begins looking for a way out of the bizarre time loop.

Key Relationships

Former Best Friend of Leo

Best Friend of Stephanie

Younger Sister of Kylie

Daughter of Mrs. Ellerby

Daughter of Mr. Ellerby

Mysteriously Guided by Angelina

Classmate of Ruby

Leo is Amanda's former best friend who shares her exact birthday. He struggles with his own insecurities and a desire to fit in with the popular boys at school, which causes him to make hurtful comments that sever his oldest friendship. Like Amanda, he finds himself trapped reliving the same Friday over and over.

Key Relationships

Former Best Friend of Amanda

Son of Mrs. Fitzpatrick

Son of Mr. Fitzpatrick

Bullied by Vinnie

Magically Connected to Angelina

Angelina is an eccentric older woman who has lived in Willow Falls for as long as anyone can remember. She wears a distinct duck-shaped birthmark on her cheek and works various jobs around town, including driving the school bus and staffing the historical society. She harbors a mysterious awareness of the magic affecting Amanda and Leo.

Key Relationships

Mysterious Guide to Amanda

Mysterious Guide to Leo

Covert Ally of Mr. McAllister

Supporting Characters

Stephanie is Amanda's current best friend. She supports Amanda but also focuses on ascending the middle school social ladder. Her eagerness to join the gymnastics team and associate with popular girls creates tension and insecurity for Amanda.

Key Relationships

Best Friend of Amanda

Friend of Ruby

Kylie is Amanda's thirteen-year-old older sister. She deals with her own teenage anxieties, particularly concerning boys and her physical appearance. She frequently dismisses Amanda's concerns and unintentionally contributes to the stressful events of Amanda's birthday morning.

Key Relationships

Older Sister of Amanda

Daughter of Mrs. Ellerby

Daughter of Mr. Ellerby

Classmate of Dustin

Mrs. Ellerby is Amanda and Kylie's mother. She works a demanding job and accidentally takes the wrong presentation poster to work on the morning of Amanda's birthday, an error that causes her significant professional trouble. She tries to support Amanda through the conflict with Leo but struggles to manage her own stress.

Key Relationships

Mother of Amanda

Mother of Kylie

Wife of Mr. Ellerby

Mr. Ellerby is Amanda and Kylie's father. He spends Amanda's eleventh birthday suffering from a severe cold on the couch. Despite his illness, he tries to offer his daughter comfort regarding her ongoing rift with Leo.

Key Relationships

Father of Amanda

Father of Kylie

Husband of Mrs. Ellerby

Ruby is a popular girl in the fifth grade who successfully makes the gymnastics team. She can be snide and intimidating, representing the exclusive social circles that Amanda both resents and desperately wishes to join.

Key Relationships

Rival of Amanda

Friend of Stephanie

Mrs. Fitzpatrick is Leo's mother. She enforces the shared birthday tradition for years and remains a supportive presence in Leo's life, though Leo sometimes feels pressured by her social expectations regarding Amanda.

Key Relationships

Mother of Leo

Wife of Mr. Fitzpatrick

Mr. Fitzpatrick is Leo's father. He attends the joint birthday celebrations and expresses excitement when Amanda finally calls the house after the children's long period of silence.

Key Relationships

Father of Leo

Husband of Mrs. Fitzpatrick

Mrs. Grayson is a neighbor of the Ellerby family. She drives Amanda to the doctor during one of the repeated days and possesses deep historical knowledge about the long-standing feud between the prominent families in Willow Falls.

Key Relationships

Neighbor of Amanda

Tracy is Emma's twin sister and one of Amanda's loyal friends. She helps present Amanda with a birthday cupcake at lunch, providing a steady presence that Amanda initially takes for granted.

Key Relationships

Friend of Amanda

Twin Sister of Emma

Emma is Tracy's twin sister. She forms part of Amanda's core friend group at school, offering support and celebration that Amanda struggles to appreciate amidst her ongoing drama with Leo.

Key Relationships

Friend of Amanda

Twin Sister of Tracy

Vinnie is a boy at school who bullies Leo. His intimidating presence heavily influences Leo's self-conscious behavior and his desperation to appear cool to his peers, which ultimately damages Leo's friendship with Amanda.

Key Relationships

Bully of Leo

Mr. McAllister is the owner of the local party venue who hosts the first shared birthday party for Amanda and Leo. He shares a knowing look with Angelina, suggesting his involvement in establishing the children's lifelong tradition.

Key Relationships

Secret Accomplice of Angelina

Leonard Fitzpatrick is Leo's great-great-grandfather. He was a Willow Falls resident whose long-standing enmity with the Ellerby family remains an infamous piece of local history.

Key Relationships

Great-Great-Grandfather of Leo

Historical Rival of Ellerby

Ellerby is Amanda's great-great-grandfather. He was a farmer in Willow Falls who engaged in a notorious, bitter feud with the neighboring Fitzpatrick family.

Key Relationships

Great-Great-Grandfather of Amanda

Historical Rival of Leonard Fitzpatrick

Dustin is a classmate of Kylie's. He spends time studying at the Ellerby home, causing Kylie significant anxiety as she harbors a secret crush on him and worries about her appearance in his presence.

Key Relationships

Study Partner of Kylie