The Seventh Wish

Charlie has a lot on her plate as a middle school student - Irish dancing competitions, maintaining friendships, and helping her mom after her parents' divorce. When she goes ice fishing one day, she catches a fish that offers to grant her wishes in exchange for freedom. As Charlie navigates typical teen challenges, she begins making wishes to fix various situations in her life. However, she soon learns that wishes don't always work out as planned, especially when her older sister's situation becomes complicated and requires attention from the whole family. The story follows Charlie as she discovers that some problems can't be solved with magic, and that facing reality head-on might be more important than wishing it away. Through her experiences with friends, family, and the wish-granting fish, Charlie gains new perspectives on what matters most. This middle-grade novel tackles serious topics while maintaining hope and humor throughout. It explores themes of family bonds, acceptance, and the complex nature of wanting to fix things beyond our control.

Readers appreciate the book's honest handling of addiction's impact on families, with many noting it helps children understand this complex topic. Parents and teachers report it creates opportunities for discussions with middle-grade students about difficult subjects. Readers highlight the effective blend of realistic family drama with magical elements, though some found the magic fish storyline disconnected from the main plot. The Irish dancing subplot resonates with young dancers. Common criticisms include the quick resolution of certain storylines and that some younger readers struggle with the heavier themes. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (2,900+ ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (175+ ratings) Sample reader comments: "Handles addiction in a way kids can understand without sugar-coating" - Goodreads reviewer "My daughter and I had important conversations because of this book" - Amazon parent "The magical elements felt unnecessary against the serious subject matter" - School librarian review The book appears frequently on school reading lists and received recommendations from addiction counselors for families.

Just Like Jackie by Lindsey Stoddard A girl copes with her grandfather's declining memory while uncovering family secrets and finding strength in her connections to loved ones.

Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar A family deals with their grandfather's dementia through magical realism and storytelling that bridges generations.

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt A middle school student faces learning challenges while discovering her own worth through the support of family and teachers.

See You At Harry's by Jo Knowles A family confronts grief and healing after tragedy strikes, testing their bonds and resilience.

Rules by Cynthia Lord A girl navigates complex family dynamics while caring for her brother with autism and learning to accept difference.

🌟 Kate Messner interviewed ice fishermen and learned to ice fish herself while researching this book to ensure authentic details about the sport 🎭 The book tackles serious themes of addiction through a magical realism lens, making difficult topics more accessible to middle-grade readers ❄️ The ice-fishing scenes were inspired by Lake Champlain, where the author lives and where thousands of people ice fish each winter 🐟 The concept of a wish-granting fish draws from various folktales, including "The Fisherman and His Wife," but gives the traditional story a modern twist 🎨 The cover art by Júlia Sardà features a bluegill fish, which is one of the most common species caught while ice fishing in North America