Wish, by Barbara O’Connor has become one of my all-time favorite read-alouds. I just finished reading it with my third-grade son and we found it really hard to put down at bedtime.
Fifth grader Charlie Reese has a daddy who is in jail for fighting and a mama who “needs to get her feet on the ground.” Without proper care at home, Charlie has to temporarily live with her aunt and uncle in the small town of Colby, North Carolina.
Living in an unfamiliar “hillbilly” town with an aunt and uncle she doesn’t remember leaves Charlie feeling pretty lonely. She has a whole list of things that qualify as something you can wish upon, and she makes the same wish every day. Her Aunt Bertha and Uncle Gus envelope her in love and acceptance, and a tenderhearted boy named Howard Odem, who has his own vulnerabilities, befriends her. Over time, she starts to feel like Colby might be home.
This is such a heartwarming story that I recommended it to several friends before I had a chance to write this post. O’Connor has written several other books, so we definitely will be checking those out as well.
Mom, which book is next? 
I got it from the library because of your recommendation! I’m hoping to convince my daughter to read it with me. If not, I might just have to read it for myself : )
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Adding this to my “Want to Read” list!
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