| Human-animal relationships -- Juvenile fiction. |
| Dogs -- Fiction. |
| Families -- Fiction. |
| Conduct of life -- Fiction. |
| Dogs -- Juvenile fiction. |
| Families -- Juvenile fiction. |
| Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction. |
| JUVENILE FICTION / Animals / Dogs. |
| JUVENILE FICTION / Family / General (see also headings under Social Issues). |
| JUVENILE FICTION / Social Issues / Friendship. |
Available:*
Audience | Shelf Location | Material Type | Shelf Number | Current Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kids/Juvenile | Fiction | Book | JFIC OCONNOR | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Don't miss Barbara O'Connor's other middle-grade work--like Wonderland; How to Steal a Dog; Greetings from Nowhere; Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia; The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester; Halfway to Harmony; and more!
A touching, New York Times -bestselling story about a girl and her dog, perfect for young animal lovers.
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.
This title has Common Core connections.
Author Notes
Barbara O'Connor was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina. She has written many award-winning books for children, including How to Steal a Dog and The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester .
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-Eleven-year-old Charlie Reese is heartsick that she's been sent to live with an aunt and uncle she doesn't know in the boondocks of North Carolina, because her dad, Scrappy, is in jail getting "corrected" and her mama can't get up off the couch to care for her. O'Connor (How To Steal a Dog) pens a touching tale of resilience sure to resonate with children who have ever felt like they didn't belong. Charlie feels she doesn't fit in and has built up a tough exterior, which, coupled with a short-tempered fuse, gets her nowhere in her "temporary" home with kind Aunt Bertha and Uncle Gus. Charlie resists becoming friends with Howard, an odd but kindhearted boy with an "up down walk" who comes from a boisterous and loving family, which is far from what Charlie is used to. Every day, Charlie has to find something lucky in order to make a wish, a ritual she's done every day since fourth grade, whether it is a bird singing in the rain, or blowing on an eyelash. Feeling kinship with a stray dog, Charlie is overcome with desire to give "Wishbone" the loving home she, too, is desperately searching for. When Wishbone disappears and she is compelled to search for him, Charlie learns there are people worth holding on to and what you wish for may not be what you really want. VERDICT 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, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
With her father in jail and her unstable mother incapable of caring for her, 10-year-old Charlie is sent to live with an aunt and uncle she didn't know she had. Defensive and pugnacious, she resists their efforts to make her feel at home, as she has no intention of staying in this small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The one thing she loves here is the stray dog she takes in and cares for. Gradually, though, she comes to value the steady support of a boy who befriends her, and the unconditional love that her relatives offer. Every day, she makes the same unspoken wish, revealed only on the last page. In this first-person narrative, Charlie's emotions are as evident as the events she records and her occasional misreading of other people's lives and intentions. At school, at home, and in the community, the characters and settings are well drawn, but it's the narrator's convincing, compelling voice that will draw readers into the novel and keep them there until her wish finally comes true.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2016 Booklist