{"id":93307,"date":"2025-04-25T09:33:10","date_gmt":"2025-04-25T13:33:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readingmiddlegrade.com\/?p=93307"},"modified":"2025-04-28T09:52:41","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T13:52:41","slug":"wish-by-barbara-o-connor-book-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readingmiddlegrade.com\/wish-by-barbara-o-connor-book-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Review | Wish by Barbara O’Connor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Wish<\/h2><\/div>
By Barbara O’Connor<\/div><\/div>
Age <\/span>8+<\/span><\/div>\n
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A bighearted story about mistakes, forgiveness, empathy, and family.<\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

Realistic<\/a><\/div><\/div>
240<\/span> pages <\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Summary: Wish<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Charlie Reese is an 11-year-old with a temper and an obsession with making wishes — and she wishes for the same thing every time. Temporarily living with her aunt and uncle because of her family’s instability, her life changes in the best way when she finds a stray dog to belong to and makes a neighborhood friend who is kind to her and sees the best in her, even when she makes mistakes. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Good<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is a backlist title that I’ve been meaning to read for a while. I have read one Barbara O’Connor book<\/a> in my history, and while it wasn’t bad, it wasn’t one of my favorites. So, I approached Wish<\/em> with some trepidation, but I’m glad I enjoyed it. Charlie Reese is a well-drawn protagonist<\/strong> with relatable flaws, such as a bad temper and stubbornness. She feels like a kid you’d know in your neighborhood, and even though she isn’t perfect, readers will root for her from start to finish and be impressed by her character growth throughout the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I loved the friendships <\/strong>that Charlie forms in this story. First, her friendship with Howard, and the kind way he deals with her, even when she has trouble regulating her emotions. Then, her bond with the dog Wishbone, and how she learns more about herself from Wishbone. I also love the way her uncle and aunt show her love consistently and the school scenes add some comic relief for readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This book features some truly masterful writing<\/strong>. We see how Charlie observes the differences between her not-ideal family situation and Howard’s, how her relationship with her aunt and uncle changes throughout the story, and how she finally realizes what’s best for her after her sister visits. It’s always a treat when readers can see these emotional changes happening in a character without always being told outright.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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OVERALL:<\/span> Wish<\/em><\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wish<\/em> is a bighearted story about mistakes, forgiveness, empathy, and family. It is a great readaloud selection and a good story for depicting character growth. The author has created a charming story about community, found family, and the true love of good friends and a loyal dog. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Star Rating<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Content Notes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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Content Warnings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n