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3/14/2021 0 Comments Wish by Barbara O'Connor
Title: Wish
Author: Barbara O’Connor Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (2016) ISBN13: 978- 0374302733 Genre: Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade Topics/Themes: Moving to a different city/culture, Adopted family/family history, Making new friends Diversity Tags: Mental Illness: Parent with depression, People with Disabilities: Physical limp Recommended Age Level: 9-12 Awards / Recognitions:
Summary: Short-tempered 11-year-old Charlie Reese is sent to live with her aunt and uncle in “hillbilly country” (the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina) since her mama can’t get up off the couch to take care of her and her father, Scrappy, is in jail getting “corrected. Resentful of her older sister who gets to stay in Raleigh with her friend, Charlie finds solace in a sacred ritual she has had since fourth grade: making the same wish every day, in every way possible (and there are A LOT of ways she knows how to make a wish). The longer she is there, the more unlikely it seems that her wish will come true…that is until she meets a dog she calls Wishbone, a scared and unwanted stray who she immediately feels a connection with, and Howard, an odd, but kind-hearted neighbor boy. As time passes living with her aunt and uncle, Charlie begins to realize that her wish may be coming true after all, just not in the way she ever imagined. Professional Reviews: “Poignant and genuine, this is a tale that will resonate with readers long after they finish it and have them cheering for the underdogs—both of the two-legged and four-legged varieties. – Michele Shaw, School Library Journal, 2016 “A warm, real, and heartfelt tale.”– Kirkus Reviews, 2016 Personal Insights: This was such a beautiful story, and O’Connor had the perfect mix of humor and emotion to really make it resonate. While the direction of the story is predictable from the get-go, the journey that Charlie makes is still an enjoyable and meaningful one that kept my attention all the way through. The characters in the story are all flawed in their own lovable kind of way, which adds a lot of depth to this otherwise pretty straightforward story. The setting of the Blue Ridge Mountains are tangible through the pages, and the southern dialect and the attention to detail really help the reader get into the story! Notable Quotes: “You'd think that a redheaded boy with glasses who was named Howard and had an up-down walk would have a lot more to wish for than being friends with me. But I admit I felt a smile on my face and hope in my heart, 'cause maybe wishes really do come true. Maybe some wishes just take longer than others.” “You can't judge people for the mistakes they make. You judge them for how they fix those mistakes.” “As I pedaled up the road, I turned and glanced back at the Odoms’ house. I remembered that first day on the school bus when I had seen it and thought it was so sad-looking. Then I pictured all those boys in that little kitchen getting loved on by their mama and that house didn’t look one bit sad anymore.” “On the line beside ‘Describe your family’, I wrote, ‘Bad.’ What is your favorite subject in school? ‘None.’ List three of your favorite activities. ‘Soccer, ballet, and fighting.’ Two of those favorite activities were lies but one of them was the truth. I am fond of fighting.” Readalikes: (Summaries from GoodReads) Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate (2015) - Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. There's no more money for rent. And not much for food, either. His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Again. Crenshaw is a cat. He's large, he's outspoken, and he's imaginary. He has come back into Jackson's life to help him. But is an imaginary friend enough to save this family from losing everything? Lemons by Melissa Savage (2017) - What do you do when you lose everything that means anything? Ten-year old Lemonade Liberty Witt doesn’t know the answer to that question, except what her mom taught her. When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. But what if those lemons are so big that you forget how? How do you make lemonade out of having to leave everything you know in San Francisco to move to the small town of Willow Creek, California and live with a grandfather you’ve never even met? In a town that smells like grass and mud and bugs. With tall pines instead of skyscrapers and dirt instead of sidewalks. Not to mention one woolly beast lurking in the woods. That’s right, Bigfoot. A ginormous wooden statue of the ugly thing stands right at the center of town like he’s someone real important, like the mayor or something. And the people here actually believe he’s real and hiding somewhere out in the pine filled forests. How can anyone possibly be expected to make lemonade out those rotten lemons? Everything is different and Lem just wants to go back home. And then she meets Tobin Sky, the CEO of Bigfoot Detectives, Inc. and sole investigator for the town. He invites her to be his Assistant for the summer and she reluctantly agrees. At least until she can figure out her escape plan. Together, Lem and Tobin try to capture a shot of the elusive beast on film and end up finding more than they ever could have even imagined. Summer of a Thousand Pies by Margaret Dilloway (2019) - When twelve-year-old Cady Bennett is sent to live with the aunt she didn’t even know she had in the quaint mountain town of Julian, she doesn’t know what to expect. Cady isn’t used to stability, or even living inside, after growing up homeless in San Diego with her dad. Now she’s staying in her mother’s old room, exploring the countryside filled with apple orchards and pie shops, making friends, and working in Aunt Shell’s own pie shop—and soon, Cady starts to feel like she belongs. Then she finds out that Aunt Shell’s pie shop is failing. Saving the business and protecting the first place she’s ever really felt safe will take everything she’s learned and the help of all her new friends. But are there some things even the perfect pie just can’t fix?
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