Very well written children's story. Good message- be careful what you wish for!

3.5 stars. Reading for 4th grade girls book club - folk tale month!

A decent young reader book about how casting wishes can turn into curses.

An eerie “Be careful what you wish for” tale that handles its characters’ misfortunes without being too creepy or dark and yet doesn’t neglect the fear they feel when their wishes go wrong.
This book strikes just the right tone for its premise.

This is a Newbery Honor book. It is the story of 3 kids who go to the local fair and get cards that allow them to have one wish come true. As you might expect, this doesn't quite happen the way they think it will. It's a quick read. I'm not sure it would get much Newbery consideration today.

This was fun.

Cute book. I hadn’t realized it was written in 1983 before I was borne. While reading it I was reminded of the goosebumps little books about wishing things that don’t come out as planned. So maybe this book was the inspiration for one of R L Steins books.

Old time carnival wish granted where the words you chose for your wish must be chosen very carefully.

This was a cute story about being careful what you wish for. It was well written and enjoyable.

This was a cute, kid friendly retelling of "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs. The wishes were less gruesome, but still traumatic to the adolescents that were experiencing them. Some of them were actually quite comical. I could definitely see the kid appeal.

I ordered a new copy of this for our library, because it's on our Honors Reading List but our old copy was original from 1983 and not the least bit appealing for young readers with the dated cover and the older, smaller type.
It was a quick read and I found it delightful! I had no idea what to expect but enjoyed the three tales and how the kids had to learn from their wishes. The middle one (The tree man) was my least favorite because it was the most obvious what was going to happen based on her wish; the first one (Jug-a-Rum) was my favorite. I enjoyed the small-town country feel mystical figure of Thaddeus Blinn. Fun & quick read!

Read w/ kids

I read this book as a kid, and it has stuck around on my shelves and in my memory ever since, so during my latest collection culling I decided to reread it. It's not as impressive and nuanced as many more recent Newberry Honor books, but I still found it worth reading and keeping. It's entertaining, meaningful, and likely to spark discussion for young readers.
3.5 stars rounded up for nostalgia