Wish by Barbara O'Connor. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2016. Children's chapter book. Fiction.Set in rural Colby, North Carolina, this tale of Charlie Reese and her search for family, friends, and a dog to love will capture your heart. Charlie goes to live with Gus and Bertha, her uncle and aunt who have no children, when Mama can't get "her feet on the ground" and while her father is in prison. She is not a great student and has a bit of a temper. But, an unlikely friend, Howard, is steady and helps Charlie figure out ways to catch the stray dog that she names Wishbone. Charlie is big on wishes and makes the same one every day. How her story plays out is not like she thinks, but perfect, after all.
Like in her book, The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester, O'Connor weaves searches for a child's heart's desires with the age-old story of wanting to be loved just for yourself, or even in spite of yourself. The dialog rings true and the story is filled with believable episodes. Charlie learns that you don't have to do everything right to have everything turn out right.
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