A Drop of Hope

by Keith Calabrese

Overview

"A book that reminds us of the kindness we are all capable of." — Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honor winner and author of Okay for Now

A well. A wish. And a little drop of hope.Times are tough. Jobs are scarce and miracles are in short supply. But something strange is happening in Cliffs Donelly, Ohio. An old well has suddenly, impossibly, begun to grant wishes. And three sixth graders are the only ones who know why.Ernest Wilmette believes a good deed makes magic happen. Ryan Hardy thinks they should just mind their own business. Lizzy MacComber believes in facts, not fairy tales. Of course, you don't have to believe in wishes to make one.As more wishes are made, the well's true secret gets harder and harder to keep. Ernest, Ryan, and Lizzy know they can't fix the world. But in their own little corner of it, they can give everyone a little hope... one wish at a time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338233216
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	04/07/2020
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Keith Calabrese is an author and screenwriter who holds a degree in creative writing from Northwestern University. A former script reader, he lives in Los Angeles with his wife, kids, and a dog who thinks he's a mountain goat.

Editorial Reviews

"A promising first novel that delivers its own measure of hope." — Booklist"A story of friendship, character, and believing in good." — School Library Connection"Every so often — though not very often — a book comes along that reminds us of what we are capable of as human beings. It reminds us that we can be kind. It reminds us that we can create. It reminds us that we really can grow into our best selves. And it does all this with a story that startles us with the absolute conviction that we are connected in ways whose complexities we can never fully know. This is one of those books." — Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honor winner and author of Okay for Now"Keith Calabrese has given us more than a drop of hope in this endearing novel; Ernest and Ryan and Lizzy not only make me want to move to the town of Cliffs Donnelly, their story has renewed my faith in humanity." — Kirby Larson, Newbery Honor-winning author of Hattie Big Sky "A Drop of Hope is a rapid-fire novel, wishing-well deep and rich with relatable characters all discovering that forging strong friendships, families, and communities takes hard work, empathy, and just a little bit of luck." — John David Anderson, author of Mrs. Bixby's Last Day and Posted

From the Publisher

2018-10-28

A magic well provides hope to people living in a depressed Midwestern town in this debut.

On his deathbed, Ernest Wilmette's grandfather makes 11-year-old Ernest promise to clean out his attic. The Wilmettes are the richest family in the struggling town of Cliffs Donnelly, Ohio, owners of the local tool-and-die factory. In the attic, he's attracted to an odd collection of nearly perfect toys. What is he supposed to do? The next day, after standing up to a bully in middle school, he ends up—it's a long story—stumbling across Thompkins Well, which local folklore says can grant wishes. But Ernest is in a cave at the bottom of the well, and he overhears his Indian-American classmate, newcomer Winston, make a wish—and with the help of one of the items from the attic, the wish comes true. As do many more wishes, from a wide cast of characters (most as white as the Wilmettes, although a favorite teacher is described as indeterminately biracial). The story is told through a very large number of point-of view characters, some of whom play only minor roles, fitting together as neatly as a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. The sentence-level writing is smooth, and some of the insights are lovely, but the structure is so complicated that it's going to be a hard slog for many.

This is the sort of book that adults like for children far more than children like for children. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews