Wishes, Dares, and How to Stand Up to a Bully

by Darlene Beck-Jacobson

Overview

In this poignant novel in verse, eleven-year-old Jack misses his dad who is MIA in Vietnam. The last thing Jack wants to do is spend summer with his grandparents.

He's expecting the worst summer of his life—until he meets Jill. Things change as it becomes a summer of fishing, camping, bullies, and a fish who grants wishes. A fish that could be the answer to Jack’s problem. But when Jill makes wishes of her own, things don’t turn out the way they expected. Every wish has a consequence.

Will the fish grant Jack’s biggest wish? Will Jack be brave enough to ask?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781939547620
Publisher:	Creston Books
Publication date:	04/07/2020
Pages:	275
Product dimensions:	5.75(w) x 7.75(h) x (d)
Lexile:	840L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 9 Years

About the Author

Darlene Beck Jacobson has a BA in Special Education and a Reading Specialist MA. She worked as a Speech Language Specialist for 20 years. Her book, Wheels of Change, was an NCSS Notable Book.

Editorial Reviews

"A historical childhood fantasy in verse, Wishes, Dares, and How to Stand Up to a Bully blends light summer fun with deep emotional challenges."—Foreword Reviews

From the Publisher

2020-01-21
With his father missing in action in Vietnam, 11-year-old Jack faces a long, lonely summer at his grandparents’ home.

While the enthusiasm for life his younger sister, Katy, displays does much to lift his spirits, it’s the companionship of his new friend, Jill, that makes all the difference. She’s dealing with major problems of her own. Ever since their mother recently struck up a dysfunctional relationship with a manipulative man, Jill’s brother, Cody, has turned into a severe bully. Jack and Jill, apparently white, become convinced that the wishes they make over a one-eyed fish they repeatedly catch have real power—but a badly worded wish can seemingly have devastating consequences. Jack’s afraid to wish for his father’s return from war for fear he might come home dead. Jill’s tentative wishes to resolve Cody’s nastiness only gradually reveal the true nature of the boy’s problems and what the real solution involves. The tale is related in free verse, short lines and spare prose cascading narrowly down the pages, conveying a powerful message of bully management: “Bullies need our permission to / rule over us.” This realization is enhanced by insight Jack’s own dad provides through a boyhood diary, suggesting that even bullies might need friendship. Although it’s set in the 1960s, the story reflects timeless issues that will resonate with modern readers.

A fresh, inspiring exploration of a daunting issue. (Historical verse fiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews