Joplin, Wishing by Diane Stanley

Joplin, Wishing by Diane Stanley

A heartfelt and magical middle grade novel in the tradition of Tuck Everlasting and Bridge to Terabithia, about family, wishes, and the power of true friends to work magic.

While cleaning out her reclusive grandfather's house, Joplin discovers pieces of a broken platter in a cookie tin. After having the platter repaired, Joplin wishes that she could both find a friend at school, and befriend the girl pictured in the platter.

The next day, Joplin befriends a boy named Barrett, and also notices a girl outside her apartment. A girl who looks remarkably like the girl in the platter...

The girl introduces herself as Sofie, and she has a terrible secret. Cursed to grant wishes for the owner of the platter for all of time, she has been trapped for centuries. Joplin and Barrett vow to help her, but freeing Sofie is more complicated than they could have imagined, and the three friends end up against a sinister foe who could put them all in terrible danger.

Can three new friends stand against a centuries-old evil?

• Unlikely Friends: Loner Joplin didn't just wish for a friend--she got two. Barrett, a fellow bookworm, and Sofie, a girl who is much more than she seems.
• A Magical Artifact: An antique platter is more than just a pretty picture. It holds an ancient power to grant wishes, and a girl's spirit trapped inside.
• New York City Setting: Magic isn't just for fairy tales. In the gardens and apartments of Greenwich Village, an ancient battle between good and evil is about to begin.
• Courage and Bravery: Freeing Sofie means confronting a powerful sorcerer who has lived for centuries. It will take all the courage Joplin and Barrett can find.

Diane Stanley is the author and artist of many renowned children's books, including The Silver Bowl, which received three starred reviews, was selected a best book of the year by Kirkus Reviews and Book Links Lasting Connections, and was an ALA Booklist Editors' Choice; The Cup and the Crown; Saving Sky, winner of the Arab American Museum's Arab American Book Award and a Bank Street College of ALA Booklist Editors' Choice; and The Silver Bowl, which received three starred reviews, was called a