Wish

Author Barbara O’Connor published her third novel, Wish, in 2016. Set in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, which the author calls home, this award-winning, New York Times bestselling middle grade novel follows 11-year-old protagonist Charlie Reese as she learns to adapt to a new home and redefine herself and her conception of family. The novel explores complex issues such as the incarceration of a parent, the complexities of the foster care system, bullying, and physical disabilities while simultaneously highlighting the joy of finding new friends and family in unexpected places. O’Connor is the author of over twenty books, including How to Steal a Dog, which has been optioned for a film adaptation. O’Connor is known for writing what she calls “southern contemporary fiction” for middle grade readers and enjoys traveling the country to visit schools, share her writing process, and meet her readers.

This guide references the 2016 Farrar Strauss Giroux Books for Young Readers eBook edition.

Plot Summary

Charlemagne “Charlie” Reese’s mother struggles with depression and her father is in a correctional facility, so she must move from Raleigh, North Carolina, to the small town of Colby, where her closest relatives,

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