When Wishes Were Horses

What would you wish for? In this young middle-grade novel by the Newbery Medal– and Newbery Honor–winning author, four kids in the same town are each granted two wishes. Full of magic, adventure, friendship, family, surprises, and lots of dogs, this is for readers who love Katherine Applegate and Sara Pennypacker.

How do such things happen? Something appears, sudden as disaster. It wasn’t there and now it is. An envelope arrives, in your mailbox, on your dinner table, your dresser, your computer keyboard. It’s in your hand. You are alone when it finds you. No one else sees it, to ask about it or take it from you. There is only your name on the envelope. Inside, two pieces of pale gray tissue paper, each the size of a playing card, and simple instructions:

ONE WISH AT A TIME

WHISPER IT TO ME

BE WISE

Magic? Impossible. But what if . . . ?

Casey, Zoe, Billy, and Bug live in the same town. They don’t know one another . . . yet. But mysteriously, they are connected by magic. Specifically, they’ve each been given two wishes. What would you wish for? Casey yearns for a dog. Zoe wants her parents to stop fighting. Billy has always wanted a unicorn. Bug would love a Lego kit, a really complicated one. And do their wishes come true? The answer may surprise you.

But what does it truly mean to be wise?
The Consequences of Magic: From a longed-for unicorn to a wish for family peace, Bug, Casey, Zoe, and Billy discover that getting what you want isn’t always what you expect.Four Kids, One Town: Though they don’t know one another, their lives are mysteriously linked by two slips of gray tissue paper and the challenge to “BE WISE.”Stories About Dogs and Unicorns: Perfect for animal lovers, this novel explores the joy a dog can bring and the wonder of finding a real, live unicorn in your own backyard.Coming of Age: A gentle and moving tale about learning from mistakes, the power of selflessness, and figuring out what a truly good wish looks like.