Wishes, Dares, and How to Stand Up to a Bully
Eleven-year-old Jack, five-year-old Katy, and their mother are spending the summer living with the children’s paternal grandparents. Jack’s father is MIA in Vietnam, and his mother wanted to get out of their home which everyone agrees feels empty without him. In a new town, Jack makes friends with Jill, whose brother, Cody, has turned into a bully. Cody’s behavior changed when their stepfather moved in and started harassing and taunting Cody. While fishing together, Jack and Jill discover that a one-eyed fish can grant wishes—and these two kids have some serious things to wish for. Jill goes first, and the friends discover that poorly worded wishes can have dangerous, unintended consequences. Will they be able to fix those consequences? And is there any way Jack can properly wish his father safely home?
This middle-grade novel is written in verse and narrated by Jack. The poetry is clear and concise and perfectly brings to life the emotional turmoil of Jack. Jacobson balances that strong emotion with the normal, fun events of childhood—camping, birthday parties, playing pirates—which keeps the story interesting but not overly intense. The world she builds is so realistic that I was shocked when the fish could truly grant wishes—but even in that Beck-Jacobson holds to reality, showing the reader that wishes are not simple things. It’s more important to give than to take, and being safe may be more important than being together. Highly recommended. Ages 8-13.
