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From: Glennda McKeithan
Date: 23 Apr 2000
Plot Summary: The fictional town of Coven Tree is in for a few surprises when Thaddeus Blinn comes to town for a visit. He claims to sell wishes for fifty cents. Four of the town’s residents (three young adolescents and one adult) decide to take him up on his offer and purchase a wish. Blinn warns them to think carefully before they make their wishes. Read the book and find out what they wished for and whether their wishes come true. Personal Response: This book was one of the selections my students could choose for their literature circles project. The two groups that selected this book finished their novels first (although it was the longest of the books offered). They were very proud of themselves, and they had some interesting discussions about what they would or would not have wished for themselves. Prediction of Books Appeal: This book appeals to all readers because all of us have thought about what we would wish for if we could have a wish (or what we would buy with lottery winnings). Teaching Ideas: Study of the major themes that run throughout the book including: choices/consequences/fairness/friendships/peer interaction/communication with others/the opposite sex/dating rituals & how they have changed over the past 20 years/problem solving/consequences