Wish Upon a Crawdad

by Curtis W. Condon

Wish Upon a Crawdad takes place in rural America during the waning years of the Great Depression. Times are still lean, but there are glimmers of hope—especially for resourceful kids, like Ruby Mae Ryan.

Ruby isn't your typical, depression-era twelve-year-old. For one thing, she's got a jar full of coins, thanks to her crawdad business and other odd jobs. But she doesn't let the money go to her head. She's too busy trying to make more. That's because she's got something special in mind, and time is running out. So, Ruby calls on crawdads for help.

A lot of people wish on the first star at night. Ruby does that, too, but she also wishes on the first crawdad of the day. She figures the odds are better. "Not many folks wish upon a crawdad," Ruby says. To convince doubters of their magic, Ruby points to a wish coming true as the story unfolds. Electricity: she's never had it--no one in the valley has--until she wished upon a crawdad.

But now, Ruby has another wish. She wants something so badly she won't even say what it is out loud, afraid that might jinx the wish. Instead, Ruby calls it her "secret surprise." The only other people who know about it are Daddy and her best friend, Virginia. And they'll never tell. Or will they?

Wish Upon a Crawdad is all about friendship and adversity, courage and fear, heartbreak and triumph, and it has as many channels and curves as the creek running through it. Along the way, Ruby searches for a legendary place called Crawdad Haven, kisses a pig, "dances" with an angry dog, escapes death, and even has a chance encounter with a famous dignitary. Not bad for a twelve-year-old, crawdad-catching girl from farm country.

Historical note: The story unfolds during a pivotal time in America. The Great Depression is not yet a memory, and the country is only eighteen months from another world war. Ninety percent of villages and farms don’t have electricity. But that’s begun to change, thanks to rural residents banding together to form their own power companies called rural electric cooperatives. Such is the backdrop for the story, which takes place in 1940 in a valley near the fictional village of Crossroads, Oregon. It’s a fitting name, given rural America—and the entire country—are at the brink of a new age.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Childrens

235 pages, Hardcover

Published May 3, 2022

About the author

Wish Upon a Crawdad author, Curtis W. Condon, has caught his share of crawdads. As a boy growing up in rural Oregon, he loved to explore the surrounding woods and lash together rafts to float the nearby creek with his brothers. Bits of a few of those adventures found their way into Wish Upon a Crawdad, his first children's book. However, Curtis has been a writer and editor most of his adult life, including more than twenty-seven years at a popular magazine for members of electric cooperatives in the West. Curtis still enjoys the outdoors. His favorite activities include hiking, camping, orienteering, and beekeeping. He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his family and extended family.

Reviews

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A middle grade historical fiction this good!

The characters are so lively and there that it's just impossible to ignore any of them.

The story is simple and so accessible for everyone. I would say it's perfect for the beginners as well as for the middle grade/historical fiction lovers.

The writing just pulls the reader in once the story starts.

I love the family vibes so much. The main highlights would also be the sibling as well as the best friends vibes!

More of a character driven story, you will love this beautiful book for its ability to make you fall in love with the main character, Ruby. She reminds me so much of Heidi somehow.

I feel good reading the book as it presents younger characters just as they are and as not either good or bad. I love the parents, specially the dad. Just the right balance in the representation I feel.

The title is quite relevant as well.

Everything about this book made me feel things would turn out to be alright.

Such a feel-good story.

Thank you, Heart of Oak Books and the author, for the advance reading copy.

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wish Upon a Crawdad is such a nice story. Although it’s aimed at middle schoolers, I think it’s a story for everyone.

I simply love the characters and how well developed they are.

Additionally the book moves very quickly and kept me up going and if it one through having to go to bed and get up the next morning, I would’ve read it right through the night – – it was that good!

The story is in a pivotal time in our country the great depression is technically over but still leaving scars upon the country and it’s the beginning of rural communities banding together for their their own sake.

I truly love this book and I recommend it to everyone.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Beka Metz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book 🙂
It is getting harder and harder to find good quality books for kids/teens but this one fit the bill.

It’s set in rural America when times were hard but also much simpler. And Ruby Mae may have a quick temper but she is also very selfless and kind especially when you figure out what she is saving for and how many odd jobs she is willing to do to make the money herself. There is a wonderful friendship, great family ties, moral values and life lessons.

The story was great and so were the characters. If you want a feel good story without all the extra junk and noise that is being added to books lately this is a great one!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun read. Sometimes a book has a great plot and a lot of action, and sometimes it's a quiet slice of life story with great characters. This book is the latter, so if you are looking for an action packed story, this probably isn't it. But I absolutely loved reading this book. Ruby is such a great protagonist with a lot of spunk. She's saving up money for a surprise, and so the story revolves around her working odd jobs over the summer. I loved reading about her adventures and friendships. I love stories where I get to experience life in a different place and time. This book transported me to 1940 Oregon, where I was able to see what it was like to be a 12 year old kid living on a farm and having simple adventures.

There were lots of great rabbit trails here too - you can learn about crawdads (catching crawdads is a huge part of the story), electricity (Ruby's family is excited about the electric co-op they are part of so they can bring electricity to their valley for the first time), money and inflation (she talks about the money she's saving quite a lot as well as how much she makes at each odd job), President Hoover (who she gets to meet in this story!).

This was a very sweet and innocent middle grade, perfect for kids who are just getting into reading chapter books!

Thanks Netgalley for the e-arc!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
What a fun story! I would've loved to be friends with Ruby. She has lots of fun adventures and like me, is quite a tomboy with the occasional feminine moments.
Ruby is so kind and thoughtful but also has a mischievous side to her to keep her, and sometimes her friend Virginia, in a bit of trouble.
I really appreciate that the author didn't blame Buster the dog for his actions. People need to realize that any dog can become aggressive if they're not treated right. In this case, kids taunting and mistreating the poor dog are an example of what not to do to animals.

[linda hole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical fiction for middlegraders. Wow just wow. I loved this book. The book is set under the depression. And we learn that with through hard work obstacles can be overcome. But what i loved most about this book, was the Main character Ruby, a spunky Tomboy, with a heart of Gold. What she get in to lol. I also loved the friendships in this book. And the innocence, just enough to warm your heart. A must read book.
Thank you to netgalley for this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

[Jennifer Bohnhoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet, gentle story about a girl growing up in rural Oregon in 1940. The valley is getting electricity, thanks to the local co-op, and that's going to change everything. Ruby wants to be prepared, and so she's trying to raise money through harvesting crawdads to sell to a local restaurant so that she can buy a special surprise.

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wish Upon a Crawdad
by Curtis W. Condon
Pub Date 03 May 2022
Heart of Oak Books, Heart of Oak Books for Young Readers
Children's Fiction | Middle Grade


Ruby Mae Ryan isn’t a typical twelve year old, first of all she’s the richest kid around, thanks to her crawdad business and other odd jobs. But she doesn't let the money go to her head. She's too busy trying to make more. That's because she's got something special in mind, and time is running out. So, Ruby calls on crawdads for help.



There are a lot of people who wish upon the first star at night, and Ruby does too, but but she also wishes on the first crawdad of the day. She figures the odds are better. “Not many folks wish upon a crawdad,” Ruby says. To convince doubters of their magic, Ruby points to a wish coming true as the story unfolds. Electricity: she's never had it no one in the valley has until she wished upon a crawdad.


Right now though Ruby has another wish She wants something so badly she won’t even say what it is out loud, afraid that might jinx the wish. Instead, Ruby calls it her “secret surprise.” The only other people who know about it are Daddy and her best friend, Virginia. And they'll never tell. Or will they?


Wish Upon a Crawdad is all about friendship and adversity, courage and fear, heartbreak and triumph, and it has as many channels and curves as the creek running through it. Along the way, Ruby searches for a legendary place called Crawdad Haven, kisses a pig, “dances” with an angry dog, escapes death, and even has a chance encounter with a famous dignitary. Not bad for a twelve-year-old, crawdad-catching girl from farm country.


I give Wish Upon a Crawdad five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

[Christy Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Wish Upon a Crawdad" is a narrative account of a young girl growing up during the time of the Great Depression in rural Oregon. The story centers around her quest for crawdads, a simple occupation that keeps her town's restaurant serving the delicious rural delicacy to all kinds of folks, including a former president. Ruby and her best friend and her family have many adventures during the time of the book. The book is full of the history of the era and will enable middle school readers to have a first-hand look at life in rural America during the pre-World War II years. As the narrative unfolds Ruby is challenged to provide more and more crawdads, culminating with a gigantic order for a celebration of the local electric cooperative's initiative that will provide power to the rural homes, including Ruby's. Ruby's expanding life and relationships are explored to some degree in the book. The hardships of life in that time are written about, and for the older reader who knows what comes next World War II looms large in the future of Ruby, her family, and her country. This book is good and the characters, plot, and circumstances are real. This reader is hoping the author continues to write about Ruby and explore that next era in a subsequent book. Thanks to #NetGalley#WishUponaCrawdad for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic book. Me and my 10 yr old daughter read it between us before bed each evening. We both thoroughly enjoyed the story.
The cover is so beautiful and really depicts the story very well. It mainly follows the friendship of 2 girls both from different backgrounds. It contains great life lessons. It also shows what it was like living in an American rural town that had no electricity. It had a wonderful sense of community as they come together for the big electricity switch on. The story was wonderful and so beautifully wrote that had plenty going on to keep your attention. I just loved the development of the characters especially the main character as they go through various life challenges.
I really do recommend this book for children aged 9 plus. Also adults will become emmursed in this wonderful story and will definitely appreciate the beauty of the story. I will definitely looking out for more books by this fantastic author.
So much praise goes out to the author and publishers for creating this wonderful story that children and adults will not be able to put down.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The cover is what drew me to this book. The girl actually reminded me a little of Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird. My intuition was confirmed.

Wish Upon a Crawdad is about Rudy, a 12 year old and her adventures one summer. She is spunky, careful and has a secret - a goal to save her money to buy something special. We don’t know what that something is until the end…mysterious. So her summer is spend catching crawdads and doing other odd jobs - some not always successful. She is feisty, daring and has a short fuse.

This was a fun story, getting to know Rudy, her family and the way of life on a farm in the 1940's. I feel that the finished copy would be best to read, hopefully with some illustrations to showcase the story fully.

Wish upon a Crawdad releases May 3rd and available for preorder now.

My thanks to Heart of Oak Books (via Netgalley) for a digital arc in exchange for honest review.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel centers on 12 year old Ruby and her friends toward the end of the Great Depression in Oregon. People in the rural areas were preparing themselves and their homes for electricity even though most were still struggling financially somewhat. Ruby was working all kinds of odd jobs to save up for one very special present that was top secret except for her closest friends.

This novel is geared toward the middle grades but was enjoyable to me as an adult. The author really captures the characters and their quirks plus personalities (all well developed and interesting).

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruby Mae is a plucky girl in the wilds of Oregon at the end of the Great Depression, who is always finding herself in the middle of an adventure. This delightful middle grade book follows Ruby and her friend Virginia as they learn lessons about friendship, overcoming your fears, and working hard for what you want. Ruby is and endearing and headstrong character who stands up for what’s right and always says what’s on her mind. A charming historical fiction book about a little explored place and time period in American history.

Many thanks to Heart of Oak Books and Net Galley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Erica Lyons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to review an ARC of Wish Upon a Crawdad. This is a delightful middle grade historical fiction. It is very easy to slip inside Ruby's world in Oregon in the Great Depression-era, a time period and setting that isn't often explored. It is a story about family and friendship. The richly drawn characters are what drive this book and make it such a joy to read. Wish Upon a Crawdad is definitely a book that I would recommend to readers of historical fiction.

[Nita Ankrom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story set during the time that electricity was coming to the masses. The characters were believable, and it took me back to a simpler time. I am a fan of figurative language, however, I felt that much of the figurative language in this book was forced. In my opinion, it would have been better with less. Overall it is a good book which emphasizes the values of hard work and thinking of others first.

[Kristi Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I work for an electric cooperative and this book was provided to me free of charge. I don’t typically enjoy young adult books anymore but I have to say, this one was genuinely a great read and it was really fun to read a story that essentially embraces the origin of my job. Overall would definitely recommend this book to others!

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book.

This middle grade novel was an enjoying one about friendship, family, and hard work. A historical fiction novel, I think this novel is a great example of how much can be accomplished through effort and collaboration. I enjoyed it and think many kids will too.