Wish

I saw Wish by Barbara O'Connor at my daughter's book fair last year and finally got around to putting it on hold at the library. Here's the book description from Amazon: "Eleven-year-old Charlie Reese has been making the same secret wish every day since fourth grade. She even has a list of all the ways there are to make the wish, such as cutting off the pointed end of a slice of pie and wishing on it as she takes the last bite. But when she is sent to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to live with family she barely knows, it seems unlikely that her wish will ever come true. That is, until she meets Wishbone, a skinny stray dog who captures her heart, and Howard, a neighbor boy who proves surprising in lots of ways. Suddenly Charlie is in serious danger of discovering that what she thought she wanted may not be what she needs at all."

I loved this book! It was so well-written, and the story just took me along on Charlie's heart-wrenching journey of discovering herself. I loved all the supporting characters like Bertha and Gus and Howard and Mrs. Odom. I was happy with how the book came together at the end and enjoyed the read. I'm recommending this to my daughter next.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Beverly, Right Here

Beverly, Right Here by Kate DiCamillo is book three after Raymie Nightingale and Louisiana's Way Home. This book follows Beverly's story, a few months after the previous book ended. Here's the book description from Amazon: "Beverly Tapinski has run away from home plenty of times, but that was when she was just a kid. By now, she figures, it’s not running away. It’s leaving. Determined to make it on her own, Beverly finds a job and a place to live and tries to forget about her dog, Buddy, now buried underneath the orange trees back home; her friend Raymie, whom she left without a word; and her mom, Rhonda, who has never cared about anyone but herself. Beverly doesn’t want to depend on anyone, and she definitely doesn’t want anyone to depend on her. But despite her best efforts, she can’t help forming connections with the people around her — and gradually, she learns to see herself through their eyes."

This was another beautiful story with amazingly well-developed characters. The story was engaging, and although I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the last, it was still a great read and a nice conclusion to the three stories.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Louisiana's Way Home

Louisiana's Way Home by Kate DiCamillo is the next book in the series after Raymie Nightingale. This book follows a second main character, Louisiana, and what happens to her months after Raymie Nightingale ended. The description from Amazon says it best: "When Louisiana Elefante’s granny wakes her up in the middle of the night to tell her that the day of reckoning has arrived and they have to leave home immediately, Louisiana isn’t overly worried. After all, Granny has many middle-of-the-night ideas. But this time, things are different. This time, Granny intends for them never to return. Separated from her best friends, Raymie and Beverly, Louisiana struggles to oppose the winds of fate (and Granny) and find a way home."

This book was even better than the first. It was so beautiful and heart-wrenching and well written. I loved the characters and became so emotionally involved in the story. Highly recommended.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Raymie Nightingale

My sister Molly recommended Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo and its companion books. This book is about Raymie, whose father left home with a dental hygienist. Raymie believes that if she can win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, maybe her father will come home, so she begins baton twirling lessons and meets Louisiana Elfante and Beverly Tapinski. The book jacket reads, "But as the competition approaches, loneliness, loss, and unanswerable questions draw the three girls together--and challenge each of them to come to the rescue in unexpected ways."

This was such a great read! It drew me in right from the beginning, and I was just amazed by the skills of Kate DiCamillo in developing detailed, distinct characters who I could imagine just perfectly. I just loved her descriptions and kept cracking up at the uniqueness of these personalities she created. It was a lovely, engaging read. It does have some more mature life experiences in there (a girl who is abused, a girl who doesn't have enough to eat), so I'll probably wait a year or so before having my 9-year-old read the series to make sure she's old enough to get it.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus

My sister lent me her Advance Reading Copy of Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling. This is the sequel to Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, which I read a few months ago. This book follows Aven as she starts high school.

I really enjoyed this book! It was fun to get back into the world of the characters from the first book, and I liked the new developments and how things came together at the end. I probably didn't enjoy the book quite as much as the first one, but it was still a great read.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)