The Wish Giver facts for kids
Paperback cover
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| Author | Bill Brittain |
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| Illustrator | Andrew Glass |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's book |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
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Publication date
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1983 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover and Paperback) |
| Pages | 181 pp |
| ISBN | 0-06-020686-1 (First edition) |
| OCLC | 9080819 |
| LC Class | PZ7.B78067 Wi 1983 |
The Wish Giver: Three Tales of Coven Tree is a children's book written by Bill Brittain in 1983. This exciting story is about a mysterious man who gives three kids a chance to make their biggest dreams come true. But there's a catch: their wishes aren't thought through carefully, and they end up causing big problems!
This book was so good that it received a Newbery Honor award in 1984. This award is given to books that are considered very important and well-written for children.
Contents
What Happens in The Wish Giver?
The story is told by a character named Stewart Meade, who everyone calls "Stew Meat." He meets a strange man named Thaddeus Blinn at a carnival. Stew Meat notices something unusual about Mr. Blinn. Inside Mr. Blinn's tent, Stew Meat sees three other kids he knows: Polly, Rowena, and Adam.
Mr. Blinn sells each of them a special card with a red spot on it. The cards only cost 50 cents each! He tells them that all they have to do is press their finger on the spot, and their wish will come true. But it will happen exactly as they say it. This means they need to be very careful with their words!
Polly's Wish: To Be Popular
Polly is an 11-year-old girl who loves playing with bullfrogs. She only has two friends. Polly really wants to be popular. She wishes that the two most popular girls at school, Agatha and Eunice, would like her. She wants them to invite her to a tea party where they would pretend to talk like fancy ladies.
Her wish comes true, but not in the way she expected! Now, whenever Polly says mean or boastful things about other people, she croaks like a frog. This sudden croaking in class makes her the center of attention, but everyone laughs at her. Agatha and Eunice do invite her over, but Polly soon realizes they are snobby and unkind. They only invited her to make fun of her croaking. Polly learns that her habit of gossiping about classmates was why they didn't want to be her friends.
Rowena's Wish: For Love to Stay
Rowena is in love with Henry Piper, a traveling salesman. She only sees him twice a year. Rowena wishes that Henry will "set roots down in Coven Tree and never leave again!"
Her wish is granted literally! Henry's feet become stuck to the ground, and he slowly starts to turn into a sycamore tree. Rowena discovers that Henry never truly loved her. He only pretended to like her so her father would buy more of his products. During this strange situation, Rowena starts to like the family's farmhand, Sam Waxman, who helps her through everything.
Adam's Wish: For Water Everywhere
Adam lives on a farm where water has to be brought in by truck every few days. This is a lot of work! So, Adam wishes for the farm to be covered in water as far as he can see.
The very next day, Adam learns how to use a dowsing rod. This is a tool that helps people find water underground. The dowsing rod reacts everywhere he goes! When he digs into the soil, a huge geyser (a spout of water) shoots out. At first, his parents are very happy. But soon, the water spout grows out of control, and the entire farm becomes flooded!
How the Wishes Are Fixed
Adam, Polly, and Rowena quickly go to Stew Meat. They ask him to help fix their wishes. Stew Meat is the only one who has another Wishing Card in Coven Tree. He agrees to help them.
Stew Meat uses his card to grant all their wishes again, but this time, he makes sure they are worded carefully. Polly stops saying mean things about others and never croaks again. Henry is turned back into a human, but Rowena forgets about him and starts dating Sam instead. Adam learns to control his dowsing ability and travels all around the world to find water for people.
