The Wish

By Gail Carson Levine

Book Overview

There's nothing wrong with Wilma Sturtz. She's perfectly nice. But nobody cares about nice at Claverford, her middle school. Wilma is left out, forgotten, ignored--until she meets an extraordinary old lady who grants a wish: for Wilma to be the most popular kid in school. Presto Everything changes. Now Wilma has more best friends than she can keep track of and forty dates to the Graduation Night Dance; and someone is writing her love poetry. What more could she want? Nothing But will it last? How can Wilma make sure she is never unpopular again?

From Gail Carson Levine, author of the Newbery Honor book Ella Enchanted, this modern-day fairy tale shows a very real girl in a very unusual predicament, and along the way it reveals some painful truths about whether or not we really want to be liked for who we are.

Books for the Teen Age 2001 (NYPL)

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060279001
• ISBN13: 9780060279004
• Release Date: May 2000
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.82 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.8" x 5.5"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Levine's best work

8TH grader Wilma Sturtz will stop at nothing to get a hold of fame. Very funny & witty. Fans of Rowling and Byng (Molly Moon) will enjoy this.

Different

I really liked this book, even though it is VERY different from Gail Carson Levine's other books. First and foremost, it is actually set in our world, in a school in fact. Usually, I would have stayed away from a book about a school, but considering the author and the promise of fantastic elements, I decided to try it.I am SO glad that I did. This book in FANTASTIC!!! Unlike most realistic fiction, it never preaches about how terrible cliques and popular people and high school are. Instead, it shows a point of view that is NEVER shown: what it's like inside a clique, and the idea that popular people really DO have the capacity to be nice. I mean, if you want to complain about card-board cutout villains, read a normal realistic fiction book. There was only one really 1-D character in the book, but this added to the realism; I've met a few people who really act like that. Besides, all the other characters were wonderful, so it didn't really matter. Wilma, in most aspects, was a good character. I especially loved the way she managed to pull unpopular people into the group without making it seem forced, which is no easy task. The only thing that seemed slightly odd was the romance, but that was just because of the age. It would have worked better if this had been set in highschool, but given the nature of the wish Wilma makes, that wasn't possible.A certain part of the wish was the only problem in the book; from my point of view, the catch in it seemed rather obvious. But then, I read WAY too much fantasy, and therefore probably understand "watch what you wish for" better than Wilma did. Besides, it wasn't a very big problem, and given that Wilma took two seconds to think about the wish before she made it, it can easily be ignored. If you like fantasy or realistic fiction, you HAVE to read this book.

Unbelievable,unbeatable, utterly fantastic!

Again, Mrs. Levine gives me a reason to look foward to reading her next book after reading "The Wish". This book is about the unpopular Wilma whose friends leave her alone in 8th grade where she gets a pretty good boost of hope until a point-of-view essay moves her from okay to unaccepetable. Out of the spot light, one day, She meets a strange lady on a subway whom she lends her seat to. for being so kind, The old lady grants her one wish: "I wish to be the most popular kid in Cleaverford middle shcool." Stepping off the subway, she is the most popular kid in Cleaverford. In school, she recieves about forty notes from boys asking for her to go to cleaverford grad night with them. At home, she has so many people call her, her sister knows when the phones ringing "don't get it, Its for Wilma." And, correct each time. Now, she's best friends with the popular girls, she has a boyfriend, and life couldn't be better. There's still one problem: How long will the spell last? Will she be popular forever?Read this book for a good laugh, romance, and to see how some of us can really make our dreams come true-- You just have to look inside.

A dream come true.

I thought that this book was very interesting. As always, Carson Levine wove a tale, that not only involved magic and wonder, but also peer pressure and things that normal kids deal with. The story was seamlessly told, with a flare for magic unlike other books. I don't suggest it for people under 10 at the youngest. I think that it is best for 11-year-olds and over. It has some teenage content, which makes it even ore believeable. "The Wish" was an enjoyable adventure into the mind of a middle-schooler, something very people even venture to try, let alone, create.

The WISH come true

I've been a fan of Gail Carson Levine since I read ELLA ENCHANTED and her giddy PRINCESS series. Unlike her prvious books this one is set in the here and now, nevertheless Ms Levine manages to put in a touch of magic in the form of an old woman (or is she a witch in disguise) who grants Wilma one wish as a thank you for an act of kindness. Lonely, unpopular Wilma wishes to be "the most popular kid at Claverford" and ends up wondering if she really wanted what she wished for.This is a sweet funny book that examines the road of popularity and true friendship. It touches a cord in everyone who ever longed to be popular in school. Wilma herself is a believable and very likable girl. Readers of all ages will easily identify with her need to fit in. A funny and poignant read. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Levine.