Besides a dog on the cover (which really is a part of the story, not a trick to get you to buy it), Wish has lots to recommend itself to middle grade readers. For this very reason, even though it was published in 2016, it still hits the NYT top 10 bestseller list now and then. Still! And is among the top-ranking books on Amazon right now with 83% 5-star ratings. (Most of the 1-star ratings were upset about how the book was printed incorrectly, which an author has zero control over.)
You may know Barbara O'Connor from How to Steal a Dog, and Wish hits on the same themes--love, family, home, belonging. And a dog.
Eleven-year-old Charlie Reese has been making the same secret wish every day since fourth grade. She even has a list of all the ways there are to make the wish, such as cutting off the pointed end of a slice of pie and wishing on it as she takes the last bite. But when she is sent to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to live with family she barely knows, it seems unlikely that her wish will ever come true. That is until she meets Wishbone, a skinny stray dog who captures her heart, and Howard, a neighbor boy who proves surprising in lots of ways. Suddenly, Charlie is in serious danger of discovering that what she thought she wanted may not be what she needs at all.
From award-winning author Barbara O'Connor comes a middle grade novel about a girl who, with the help of a true-blue friend, a big-hearted aunt and uncle, and the dog of her dreams, unexpectedly learns the true meaning of family in the least likely of places.
The "blurb" for this book tells you everything you need to know, so I won't blab on about it. Lovely book. Kids adore it. Grab a copy now.
I have seen bits online saying a sequel to Wish will be coming soon. You can bet I'll be reading it!
*I saw reviews for Wish that were upset by some of the content. Charlie's parents are neglectful (why she's sent to North Carolina). The teenager smokes. Doesn't seem like anything most eleven-year-olds would be shocked by, but you decide for your child. Maybe read it yourself first to judge. Your local library is certain to have a copy.
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