Wish

by Barbara O'Conner

"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"--

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens

Unknown Binding

Reviews

[Charlotte]

Grabs the readers attention and when she finds the dog and becomes pals with Howard it becomes so catchy. And show how someone or something can change one big part in you and the way you think. As she faces the struggles of wondering if Jackie is still thinking of her. She knows that she will have to wait some time before her mama can get her feet on the ground and her daddy can be let out of jail from fighting. She is used to the behavior that her parents give each other but she ten looks at others and sees the ways that they react when being married. She believes in making a wish at least one time a day and later on when riding the school bus from school to home spots a stray being mistreated and later on sees that same dog again. When she thinks of an idea and that idea is to put a trap so that the dog might get caught in the trap. When I read the story there were times when I was mad like the time when the stray was being mistreated. And then there were times when I felt sad and lucky. For sad was because I would want to leave my mama and go to some people I didn't know but I also didn't want to be in a household of bad thoughts brewing around, I also felt lucky to be in a safe place to grow up

[Isabelle Fedorick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a nice as I remember it when I read it in my 20s (I guess? or 3os?). I remember feeling the story to be relatable in it's themes of broken homes (mine wasn't broken as such - we were mostly together but our family was broken in many other ways), wanting attention so that one feels loved and accepted and valued, wanting a dog of one's own to give all the love one felt they were missing and so on, all set in a wonderfully described rural mountain village setting with characters you grew to love and hope for.

[Violet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saddest book ever! It made me cry so hard, I threw the whole book down! This book is heart-felt and fun to read. it took me 5 days to read and it usually takes me a month to completely finish a book. I was doing home school at the time, and after every assignment I did I would take a break to read a chapter! Best book ever! 😍🤩😢😻💖

[TickleThyElmo · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was OK. I hoped this book would be refreshingly good, but this is not the case. This is a cute story, but there isn't really a plot. It's just Charlie's misaventures while she stays in Colby hoping her family will get better.She even wishes to have a normal family that isn't quote unquote "broken," and doesn't even realize she has a family, a home, and a community who supports her, until she needed to go back home, and she didn't want to.

[Isabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

thought at times was boring fun book in general

[Kristen Quinlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story of sweet Charlie and her yearning for family is a great read for middle schoolers to help them empathize with peers who may come from different backgrounds, and broken families. Charlie, after her father is sent to prison and her mother fails to cope and take care of her and her sibling, is sent to live far away with family, an aunt and uncle. The separation from her sister, who is allowed to stay behind with a friend due to the fact that she is almost an adult, adds insult to injury and causes more anger and worrisome for Charlie. Charlie deals with most of this by making a daily wish...for a dog of her own. As the story continues, Charlie comes across a stray dog, somewhat relatable to Charlie, and she sets out on befriending the dog and capturing it. When she does, she names him "Wishbone" Through a story within a story, of Wishbone running away, Charlie learns to appreciate the family and home she does have, instead of dwelling on the nuclear family she no longer has. The story does not end without some threat to the newfound family and comfort Charlie finally found when her mother gets better and a social worker sends for Charlie to be reunited with her mother back home. Charlie is tortured with the idea of losing all she has ever wish for to go back home, however, her mother is eventually deemed unfit to care for her, and she no longer lives with the threat of losing it all. The story closes with Charlie no longer having to make her daily wish and realizing she has all she ever wished for now.

[Nevaeh Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this reading the book “Wish”, I could say that I enjoyed it. This story is about a young girl named Charlie Reese who has many struggles with her family. This book takes place in a small town named Colby, NC. Currently in the book, Charlie lives with her auntie and uncle who aren’t very nice. They don’t treat her well like their own, everyday Charlie tends to deal with it. A couple of days later, Charlie runs into a stray dog in which by the name goes of “Wishbone”. When she meets the dog, her life began to change. Every day, Charlie always felt loved and appreciated by this dog. The amount of comfort that this dog has for her in something her family couldn’t give. Within reading the book, I’d say that the theme of this book is about finding hope to everything. Charlie was always on bad terms, and she nearly almost gave up, then Wishbone came into her life, which changed everything. Overall, I’d rate this book 10/10 and I’d recommend it to people who have a heart for dogs.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie Reese is an eleven-year-old girl who keeps a list of how to make a wish. She has been doing this since fourth grade. Why wish every day? Why not? She has one wish, which is her secret, and she makes that wish every day until it comes true. Charlie’s life gets a sudden shift when she’s sent to a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to live with a family she really doesn’t know. They are just her aunt and uncle. This is where the wishing becomes her only hope because this new place certainly has a lot of things that, in her perspective, are really not so good. Then a stray dog comes along as well a neighbor boy named Howard that will cause Charlie to consider everything she’s seen and heard in a different light.

This is a remarkable story of a young girl and how she finds herself in the middle of hopelessness that she is sure she’ll always live in.

[Barbara Ryba · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely story. I will research the author further as this is a second book I have read. Barbara O'Conner had a lovely story to weave. Everyone wishes for things and prays for the best of things to happen but when you read this story about Charlie, we realize our wishes are not for the bigger things she wishes for. If you have any experiences of the south you will give this one five stars. "Bible bucks" and good quality friendships with Howard and Charlie's dog friend, grab this one for an afternoon of meaningful reading.

[Cecily Rehner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great. But I didn't like how she was mean and how mom didn't care about her and her sister. Her dad was in jail and i didn't like that either but aside from that the book was great. I girl named Charlie gos to live with her aunt and uncle. Her aunt and uncle love her very much. Everyday since Charlie was little she would make a wish every time she got a chance too. She gets a stray dog and makes friends and family. At the end she had got her wish. Her wish was to have a family.

[Bren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sweet, but meh... When I was a librarian at an elementary school, the popularity of this book sparked my interest a bit, then when a movie based on it was released, I figured it had to be pretty good. Was pretty disappointed, and I love good children's/youth books. Boring, predictable, zero climactic energy. Some tenderheartedness, but that's about it. Haven't seen the movie, but did see it got fairly poor reviews...

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this sweet children’s story about Charlie who has moved in with her aunt and uncle because her family isn’t stable. I fell in love with Charlie and the growth that happens when she is loved by others unconditionally.

[Amanda Hegel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book as such a cute theme throughout about wishes and how they may or may not come true in different ways, whether you know it or not. Also that sometimes what you want is not always what you need.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book. Eleven year old Charlie makes secret wishes constantly. Her life changes when she has to move to North Carolina to live with family she barely knows. Luckily, she has a great aunt and uncle, a true-blue friend, and very sweet dog that help her dreams come true.

[Rachel Silver · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book!
was very easy to read especially as your first novel. I read this years ago when i was just getting into chapter books, and to this day i still read it often. I was kept interested all throughout the book.
I recommend this for all ages!

[Caroline Davis]

i thought that this book was really good and i love that the theme and the plot and i love the story about it t

[Avery · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute! Teaches a good lesson

[Jessica F]

2021-2022 Battle of the Books

[Siri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book but it made me really sad.

[Shae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this book during an audible sale and I LOVED it. Super cute juvenile fiction.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sweet book about a young child finding the meaning of family.

[Megan Evert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute book. My son read it and then told me he thought I’d like it too. He was right, very sweet

[Wyshona D. Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a heartwarming book.

[Mischa Decker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this aloud with the kids and we all loved it!!

[Jill Styx Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter loved this! Well anything with a dog! But She also loved the anticipation of what came next. It took her about a week and she is 9 and in 4th grade

[Adelynn Landers · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a great story with lots of humorous fun!!!

[Vivien · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Wish by Barbra O’connor. This book stood out to me because the author got into a lot of the details of each character. And each character had a completely different temperament, attitude, and way of life then the next.




In the town of Raleigh, North Carolina a little girl named Charlie who’s mom isn’t doing very well. The mom isn’t taking care of Charlie as she should. So Social Services takes her very kind Aunt Bertha and Uncle Gus. And her sister Jackie moves into her best friend, Carol Lee’s house! Charlie is furious that she can’t stay with a friend. She makes a wish that is unknown to the readers everyday. She needs a companion that is loyal to her in her transition to a new house. One day, she sees a stray dog walking around the neighborhood and tries to catch him. She tries so hard but never succeeds. Until one day she meets a strange boy named Howard at school that is willing to help her catch her dog. They try everyday and one day they finally succeed. She names her dog Wishbone. She continues to make a wish everyday still unknown to the reader. Then she hears that her sister Jackie is coming to Colby to visit her house. When she arrives Jackie talks about how lucky Charlie is to be living with Gus and Bertha. Charlie doesn’t realize how lucky she really is. Then Jackie explains how much she doesn’t like it back in her town. How her friend isn’t very nice. Then Charlie Realizes she really is so lucky.



Then one day her wish finally comes true. Her wish was to… Read the book to find out.







This book was gripping and interesting. Sometimes you would want to cry or feel bad for each character and sometimes you would want to laugh or giggle. I recommend this book to ages 8-12. It was great but had little difficult vocabulary if you're looking for a hard read. I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars because it was interesting but I wanted more plot and more situations (bad or good). If I was the one writing the book I would’ve written more about what her sister Jackie’s life was like while she was with Carol Lee (her friend). I would also write a perspective on each character. For example, If one character's opinion was yes I would want to know how others felt too. And I would write about how each character acted when they were not with the main character (Charlie)

The author's style of writing was cool and had many perspectives. She described each character well and had many flaws and strengths for each one. In my opinion, the author is good at writing fiction and realistic fiction.






This book was life-changing because it taught me how to be really grateful for what you have. And also that if you keep wishing it may just about come true. Thank You for reading my review on Good Reads!

[Gunner Barnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

*SPOILERS*

This was a good book to read. Charlie is on an adventure to make a secret wish a day and has many plans in her journal. She knows many ways that signal a wish. She includes many friends in her life and gathers a family on the way. I definitely recommend this book to people who like non-fiction and I liked the book.

[Gracie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful!