The Wish List (Fall 2003)

Admitted: Pairing a young ruffian with an old crank is not snapping-new. But in The Wish List the tribulations of this duo -- a dead girl and the geezer whose life she ruined -- involve Beelzebub, Saint Peter, and spitting over the Cliffs of Moher. See, this troubled Irish lass, Meg Finn, nearly kills old Lowrie McCall in a bungled robbery, dies immediately after, and shoots into limbo. Her chance at heaven: She must ghost back and help McCall achieve his five before-I-die wishes -- a task Beelzebub is eager to thwart. Like Eoin Colfer's popular ''Artemis Fowl'' series, ''Wish List'' is funny, inventive, and sweet in spite of itself. Plus, lessons like ''Be nice to people'' and ''Remember to have fun'' are useful even for grown-ups.