MMGM: Dog-Loving Adventures: Wish and Wonderland

I’m a bit late to the party on Wish. I probably heard about it first on MMGM, but then a dear friend put a copy in my hands last summer. “You have to read this.” And she was right.

At first Charlie was a little hard to warm up to, but my the end of the novel, I was moved to tears. Of course, I had to find other books by Barbara O’Connor, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that she’s a dog person like me. Read on for more about Wish, and one of my other favorites by O’Connor, Wonderland.

Synopsis of Wish

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. (from Amazon)

My take:

I loved this warm and loving portrayal of a child in foster care. I have a few friends who are foster parents, so I’m always excited to see more books about this topic. Charlie's aunt and uncle are just as well developed as the kid characters. Although this book could be heavy with all that Charlie has gone through, the project of the saving the stray dog really lightens the mood. Charlie has the most kind friend in Howard, but I also like that he's not a pushover. At times, Charlie needs a reminder that although her life has been tough, she can't take her anger on others. I also loved how Charlie went from wanting the family that she could never have to appreciating the people who truly loved her. I thought the way faith was handled was sensitive and realistic. If you love dogs, heartfelt stories, and well-earned endings, you will love this book!

 

Synopsis of Wonderland

Mavis Jeeter is fearless and bold, but she has never lived in one place long enough to have a real best friend. Her flighty mother has uprooted them again to another new home and taken a job as a housekeeper for the Tully family. Mavis wants this home to be permanent―which means finding herself a best friend.


Rose Tully is a worrier who feels like she doesn’t quite fit in with the other girls in her neighborhood. Her closest friend is Mr. Duffy, but he hasn’t been himself since his dog died. Rose may have to break a few of her mother’s many rules to help Mr. Duffy―and find someone who really understands her.


Henry has run away from home, but he craves kindness and comfort―and doesn’t know where to look for them.

When Mavis and Rose hatch a scheme to find Mr. Duffy a new dog, their lives and Henry’s intersect―and they all come to find friendship in places they never expected.

My take:

This story centered around a friendship between two girls who couldn’t be more different. O’Connor showed how Mavis, full of energy and spunk, and Rose, shy and timid, could bring out the best in each other. I ached for Mavis because her mom never stayed in one place or one job for long, but Mavis handles her mom with humor and her life circumstances never quell her joy for life. I'd love a friend like her! I didn't think that three POVs (one is Henry, the dog) would work, but it really makes for an interesting read and lets us get to know all the characters well. This book had such a satisfying ending. I couldn't imagine it any other way. And we're left with hope, absolutely necessary for middle grade. Another one for dog lovers who like books with friendship and a lot of heart!  

Max, the Reading Dog*

 

Max’s Take (on a five bone 🦴scale):

 🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴Best MMGM ever! I would read any book by O’Connor. Dogs who get rescued make the best characters!

Your turn

Have you read Wish? What are your favorite books with dog or animal characters? Yay or nay on books from animal's point of view?

 

MMGM: Once Upon a Review: The Fairy Tale Fan Club

 

A few weeks ago, I spotlighted my favorite epistolary reads—or MG novels in alternate formats. After I published that post, I saw this book still sitting on my dresser. I just read it, and how could I have forgotten it?

It has all the things I love: nods to fairy tales, humor, and of course, a different format.
If you like fairy tales and love to laugh (or know someone who does), you will love this book!

Synopsis

What if you could send fan mail to your fairy tale idols? And what if they wrote back? 

“Happily ever after” takes on a new meaning in this book from actor-comedian-author Richard Ayoade and best-selling illustrator David Roberts.

It’s once upon a time . . . as only the irreverently witty Richard Ayoade can tell it. In this series of letters organized by C. C. Cecily, Senior Secretary of the Fairy Tale Fan Club, the fairest of them all (and a few bitter foes) correspond with curious—and opinionated—fans. So if you’ve ever wondered how a less-than-genius (and less-than-clothed) emperor fell for a certain con, how the Big Bad Wolf is handling meatless Mondays, or whether Rapunzel recommends going for the big chop, no need to look far, far away. Multihyphenate Richard Ayoade, author of The Book That No One Wanted to Read, hilariously imagines what questions modern children would have for characters such as Sleeping Beauty, Prince Charming, and Little Red Riding Hood—and what they might have to say in return. Complete with clever, spoof-gothic illustrations from David Roberts, this wry storybook may have even the Brothers Grimm cackling in their graves. (from Amazon)

My Take

1.    This book has voice in spades and a narrator with his own story. The frame of the story is that C. C. Cecily (ha!) has been collecting these letters as Secretary of the Fairy Tale Fan Club. He also provides intros to each of the letters.

2.    It's fun to revisit all your favorite characters.  Whether you’ve been dying to learn more about Little Red Riding Hood, the Big Bad Wolf, or the Emperor (as in the Emperor’s New Clothes), it’s all here. 

3.   Fairy tales don't always make logical sense, so getting an insider's view was intriguing. Some of my favorite letters were from the prince (who had the princess and pea to stay), Pinocchio’s Puppet Pros and Cons list, and Cinderella’s letter in which she thinks an i-pad is a type of sponge.

4.    The letters often compare the written version to the movie version. This adds a lot of humor, but my teacher mind could see how this could be useful for compare and contrast lessons in the classroom and would appeal to kids who have watched movie adaptions.

5.    Just because a book doesn’t have a traditional plot doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyable. The letters are episodic, although they don’t necessarily tell a contained story. I found this delightfully refreshing.

6.    This book is just plain fun! In my experience, kids are looking for books that make them laugh.

 

Max, the Reading Dog*

Max’s Take (on a five bone 🦴scale):

The only dog mentioned was in the letter to Cinderella. Zora complains about her sisters watching dog videos. But if they're watching videos of dogs, they can't be all bad. Don't get me started on the Big Bad Wolf, even though we are distantly related. I'd never eat Little Red or her grandmother.

🦴🦴🦴

Your turn

Do you like fairy tales? What books make you laugh? What do you think about episodic books?

 

ISWG: Are you Afraid of Success or Failure?

 

Photo by Alysha Rosly on Unsplash

Years ago, I remember reading a post by Veronica Roth (The Divergent Series) about planning for success rather than failure. Try as I might, I couldn’t find the original post, but this quote by her captures the same idea:

One piece of advice I have is: Want something else more than success. Success is a lovely thing, but your desire to say something, your worth, and your identity shouldn’t rely on it, because it’s not guaranteed and it’s not permanent and it’s not sufficient. So work hard, fall in love with the writing — the characters, the story, the words, the themes — and make sure that you are who you are regardless of your life circumstances. That way, when the good things come, they don’t warp you, and when the bad things hit you, you don’t fall apart. –Veronica Roth, 

I’ve often wondered if I’m afraid of success. 

1.    I have a tendency to never think my work is “ready” or done.

2.    If I am successful, will the people I know in real life be offended in some way by what I write? (This actually happened in a hilarious novel I read recently, Miss Buncle’s Book.) 

3.    Will I get invited on worldwide book tours and never have time for my family or what really counts? (Ha! Ha! Probably not going to happen.)

Yet at the same time, I’m afraid of failure.

1.    I have a tendency to never think my work is “ready” or done.

2.    I hate getting rejections. Try as I might, I’ve never been able to completely toughen my thin skin.

3.    And then there’s always the nagging question: What if my work is really bad or worse than I thought?
 

Recently I found out that my manuscript DEAR DIANA is a finalist for the Cascade Award with Cascade Christian Writers. Last summer this same manuscript was a finalist in ACFW.
 

I hadn't entered a writing contest for a novel length work in over a decade.
 

When I told my sister that I was a finalist last summer and that I hardly ever enter contests, she said, “Maybe you’d win more contests if you entered more.” Ah, the wisdom of sisters.

Right now, I am forcing myself to follow her advice. I have entered three different contests/awards this year. I plan to enter at least one more this summer. I’m letting my manuscript rest right now, but I will soon do a last pass so I can start submitting it. And I will make myself press send.

Entering contests has taught me something. It’s taught me to work to a deadline AND to accept that my work may never be perfect.

My husband, who’s an artist, likes to remind me that a piece of art is never done. You just decide when to walk away, which I have also learned as I've dabbled in watercolor.

A Christmas card I painted

 

If you'd like to read more ISWG posts or sign up, please go HERE. You won't be disappointed.

 

What about you? Are you more afraid of success or failure? Or both?