Wish by Barbara O’Connor is a heartwarming middle-grade novel about family, friendship, and finding where you belong. The story follows 11-year-old Charlie Reese, who has been making the same wish every day for as long as she can remember. When her mother struggles to take care of her, Charlie is sent to live with her aunt and uncle in a small town in North Carolina. Feeling abandoned and out of place, she longs for the life she left behind. Things start to change when she befriends Howard, a kind and optimistic boy with an unusual way of walking, and finds a stray dog she names Wishbone. Through these new relationships, Charlie slowly learns what it means to truly belong—not because of where you come from, but because of the people who love and accept you. The novel beautifully explores themes of hope, resilience, and the meaning of home.