Do Wishes On Unicorns Come True?

Every day after school Mags has to take care of her little sister, Hannie, who has special needs, and her brother, Mooch, who everyone is saying is a thief. Her mom has to get ready to go to work at her second job in the factory and someone needs to make dinner, do the dishes, clean up the trailer, and get the little ones to bed. Sometimes Mags just wishes it didn't have to be her. When does she get to be a kid? When does someone take care of her? Life isn’t easy when everyone at school thinks you're trash, and the school bully is trying to cause problems for you. When Mags and Hannie stumble upon an old, dirty discarded unicorn in the field coming home from school, Hannie must have it. Mags tries to explain to her that there's nowhere to put it in their trailer. But, Hannie believes the unicorn is magic, and she won't leave it behind. Finally, they take it home, deciding to hide it in a garbage bag. Mooch makes the first wish on the unicorn. Next, Mags wishes on the unicorn because she really needs some new clothes. Hannie doesn't wish because she isn’t sure what she wants to wish for. Mags thinks the wishes are silly, but then there are clothes waiting for her when she gets home. Secondhand clothes appear from her aunt, and they make Mags feel pretty good. The next day more magic seems to be happening. Is it the unicorn? Things seem to be getting better, but when faced with a big decision will Mags make the right choice? Will Hannie ever use her wish? Can wishes really come true if wished on a stuffed unicorn? You will have to decide for yourself.

I really enjoyed Wish on a Unicorn by Karen Hesse. My heart went out to Mags, and I wish I could meet her and be friends with her because it's clear she needs a friend. I felt bad for her that she wants to be friends with some girls in class who may not be so nice. Sometimes we want things because we're looking at them through a distorted lens. Mags feels bad about herself and her home life, and I think this makes the popular girls seem more glamorous. My heart also went out to Mags because she has a lot of responsibility for someone her age. Kids are mean to her sister and brother, but her family is simply trying to just get along day by day. I think kids in fifth grade and up would enjoy this book and would want to be friends with Mags too. It made me realize that we often spend so much time wishing about things we don't have- that we don't see what's right in front of us. When push comes to shove we want our family and those we love to be safe and happy. I have to tell you this book made me cry. I listened to it on audio, and I definitely recommend it to others. The narrator did a wonderful job, and I felt my heart being pulled towards the characters. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Has anyone else read Wish on a Unicorn? Or have you read another book by Karen Hesse? We would love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!
~L

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