Wish

This middle grade novel follows 11-year-old Charlie Reese, a tough and guarded girl who is sent to live with an aunt and uncle she barely knows in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina after her father is incarcerated and her mother struggles with mental illness. There, she forms an unlikely bond with a stray dog named Wishbone and a neighbor boy, Howard, who has a physical disability, as she slowly learns to open her heart to a new kind of family. The story thoughtfully explores parental incarceration, foster care and family separation, bullying, and physical disability, while centering themes of found family, resilience, and belonging. It's a heartfelt, hopeful story that offers comfort to kids who feel like outsiders and shows that family can be found in unexpected places.