The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
Lucy wants to save 7-year-old Christopher. Her family and relationship history is dysfunctional. For the second time, she goes to Clock Island, hoping for children’s book author Jack Masterson to save her. A hopeful book filled with riddles & puns.
Four adults, who ran away to Clock Island as children, reunite with author Jack and illustrator Hugo to compete for a prize that might solve their problems. The book contrasts childhood horrors with puns, puzzles, and the silliness of the Clock Island game. It reads like a children’s book because all the reactions are over the top. When Lucy was insulted by her sister (‘Mom and Dad only had you because they thought I needed a bone marrow transplant. They didn’t want you and neither do I’), she refused to speak to her ever again. When a fan died, Jack stopped writing. No feeling is this book halfway. Everything is all of nothing. A fun read.
QUOTES et al
Fears
Child molesters (Autumn). Not being loved (Lucy). Losing a
parent (Andre). Business failure (Melanie). Debt (Dustin). Disappointing
children (Lucy). Endangering children (Jack). Addiction (Hugo). And many others.
Many of these fears are codependent. Lucy fears for Christopher. Hugo fears for
Jack. Jack fears for his readers. Themes: Down syndrome, grief, addiction,
severe child abuse, foster care trauma, terminal illness, and depression.
The outline of the Clock Island books
First, they had to make a wish. Then they had to get to
Clock Island. After that, they answered riddles or played strange games. Then
they had to face their fears.
Books
When she left Maine for California, she had taken an
airplane. She had two suitcases with her. One full of clothes. One full of
books. The Clock Island books were the only ones that made the cut.
Melanie Evans talked about moving to a new town, not having
any friends. Jack had sent copies of his books to all her classmates with a
note that they were gifts from him and his dear friend Melanie. She’d been popular
after that, and now she owned her own children’s bookstore.
Once upon a time, I wrote a book called The House on Clock
Island. And once upon a time, you read a book called The House on Clock Island.
Writing that book changed my life. Reading it changed yours.
Commentary on California
The man looked her up and down. “Typical Californian. No
coat?”
That’s what California’s for, right? For people who are on
the run, who need a fresh start.
Money & Happiness.
When Hugo asserts that people with money are miserable, just
like everyone. Lucy counters, “Money would buy my happiness. By the end of the
book, we see that Jack’s money buys Lucy happiness.
In Praise of Kindergarten Teachers
“Knock ’em dead,” Theresa said. “Don’t let anyone intimidate
you. You’re a kindergarten TA. You can handle that? You can handle anything.”
“I’m a kindergarten teacher. I can multitask like an octopus.”
This comment has deep scientific meaning since octopuses have distributed
nervous systems. Each arm can operate independently.
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