Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Judy Moody and Stink: The Wishbone Wish
Illustrator: Peter H. Reynolds
Fiction Series
For ages 6 to 9
Candlewick Press, 2015 ISBN: 978-0763672065
Judy Moody’s family always spend Thanksgiving at Grandma Lou’s house, which means that Judy has never been able to go to the Gobblers-a-Go-Go festival at school. This year she has asked that they go to grandma’s house after the festival. When her parents say yes she is thrilled that she is finally going to be able to participate in the Turkey Trot. In fact, she is determined to win the half-mile fun run and is proud of the Sarah Josepha Hale costume that she will be wearing at the event. The winner of the run is going to get a turkey, and Judy is so confident of her running ability that she has even told Grandma Lou not to buy a turkey this year.
Just to be sure, Judy and her little brother Stink use one of the wishbones in Judy’s wishbone collection to make wishes. Judy naturally wishes that she will win the Turkey Trot and when she gets the bigger half of the wishbone she feels confident about her forthcoming victory.
After telling Stink about the festival and the fun run Judy invites Stink to be in the Triple Fun Relay with her. At first Stink is delighted, but when Judy starts trying to get him in shape for the event he soon realizes that the relay is not going to be as easy as it sounds. In fact their work out session goes horribly wrong and both kids end up having to take a time out in their bedrooms for a whole hour!
Thankfully for both children Judy takes the meaning of Thanksgiving to heart. You can’t be thankful if you are having a fight with your little brother, and so she creates a peace treaty, which Stink is happy to sign. The two children are able to keep the peace for the four days that lead up to Thanksgiving, and train for the relay, without squabbling. Surely their cooperation means that they are going to do well at the festival.
Since 2000 Judy Moody and her little brother Stink have been delighting young readers all over the world with their adventures. When Judy comes up with an idea she doggedly does everything she can to bring that idea into fruition, with often amusing results. Even when things do not go as planned, Judy, Stink, and their friends and family members make the best of things, and they leave us readers feeling happy on their behalf.
