By Lissa Evans (author)
"Humour, magic, hope and unexpected adventures rolled into a perfect piece of storytelling"
Paperback In Stock £8.99 £8.09
Hardback In Stock £12.99 £11.69
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Ed and his sister Roo face an awful half term break when they unexpectedly must be looked after by their neighbour Miss Filey and her extremely smelly old cat! Nothing, it appears can save their break until they find some very old birthday candles which they and their new friend Willard decide to light and make wishes – like everyone does on birthday cakes! It turns out, though, that the wishes they get are not entirely their own and they must work together – including the smelly cat Attlee – who it turns out can talk – to solve the situations they find themselves in!
All the elements are here for a series of adventures where our trio discover a huge amount about themselves – and Miss Filey – whilst surviving amazing escapades. Each person discovers a great deal about themselves, and about their friends as they explore, but have fun and laughter along the way.
I was particularly pleased to see the way Evans writes the fact Ed is in a wheelchair as he has a condition which makes it hard for him to walk – the way this is handled makes a refreshing change. Ed is fiercely independent, and hates being discussed by others – which feels very authentic. All the characters are well drawn – even the adults, who in some books end up more like ciphers than people.
This should most definitely be an instant classic – an overused term but one that is truly meant here.
Buy it, read it – you will love it!
Three children. One long, boring school holiday at an ancient neighbour's. One very old, very smelly cat.
Read the full description
But when Ed and co find a box of birthday candles and make a wish, their world is changed completely. For with every candle comes a wish, but some of those wishes actually belong to someone else . . .
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A riot of magic and humour, with some real heart. Ed and Roo discover a box of birthday candles in their boring old neighbour’s house – and soon discover each one grants a wish. But magic is a tricksy thing, and their wishes don’t entirely go to plan. This book is full of adventure, fabulous writing, and a cantankerous talking cat. ~ Katya Balen, Guest Editor January 2023
'If Joan Aiken (on a skateboard) with E Nesbit chipping in, wrote the story of a young Stephen Hawking, extra heroes and a cat, and Arthur Ransome advised, and Frank Cottrell-Boyce put in jokes, you might get a book like this. But it seems Lissa Evans did it all by herself . . . Very wise, very magic, very, very funny' - Hilary McKay
'It seems that Lissa Evans only writes instant classics . . . she's one of the funniest writers for any age' - Anthony McGowan
'Beautiful and very funny' - Jenny McLachlan
‘Lissa Evans is a marvel . . . a genuinely funny, clever writer who takes you to the last place you expected to go’ The Times
Lissa Evans still remembers cracking her first joke, age 7. It involved a hippo. (We’ll say no more.) But the comedy bug was born and, following a medicine degree, Lissa changed careers to become a comedy producer for radio and TV. Eventually, after a decade of running a red pencil through other people’s work, Lissa began to write something of her own. This is Lissa Evans' third book for children. Her first, Small Change for Stuart (published in the USA as Horten’s Miraculous Mechanisms ), was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and the Costa Children’s Book Award. She has also written books for adults. She has two teenage daughters, and lives in London.
Author photo © Alys Tomlinson
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Wished is a very enjoyable book about what happens when three kids find a box of magical candles in an old neighbours house. I would recommend it to people aged 10+ who like mysteries and magic.
Wished is a very enjoyable book about what happens when three kids find a box of magical candles in an old neighbour's house. I enjoyed this book as it was very well written. I would recommend it to people aged 10+ who like mysteries and magic. I liked the character of Atlee because he was very pompous and grumpy, plus he was a cat. The author portrayed the characters very well and made them very lifelike. Once I picked up this book, I could not put it down even if I wanted to. The only character I did not like was Ed’s mum because she was constantly shouting and did not seem to be very caring.... Read Full Review
Another unique and beautiful written piece of children’s literature that will entertain and inspire for generations to come.
When you're told the half term holiday is to be spent in the company of your local elderly neighbour and their very smelly cat, life seems tough and so unfair for youngsters Ed and Roo. But it is only after the discovery of a packet of birthday candles with some very strange powers that the half term just isn’t long enough. A witty, funny and imaginative journey unfolds as wishes are granted to the most extreme places with the oddest of add ons. Words are everything within this world of exploration - to explain yourselves precisely is the key. Something every reader, writer and educator crave for in the wonderful world of words! Another unique and beautiful written piece of children’s literature that will entertain and inspire for generations to come.... Read Full Review
I have laughed and have really gone into a magical world reading the book. I enjoyed it so much I don’t want to put it down.
I have really enjoyed reading Wished . It is about 3 children Roo, Ed, and Willard. They are sent to their Elderly neighbour as their house is being renovated. They are not happy about going there. Miss Filey gives the children a glass of lemonade and Cookies. The drink is spilt over and Ed covers it up but Roo runs and gets a towel to clean it up. Roo opened the draw and found some candles. They open the candles and put it on the fish birthday cake. When Roo was lighting the candle the cat walks in and Roo said I wish Miss Filey had a Dog instead and one appeared. They soon realised the candles were magic. Everything they wish for as the candle burns it comes true. Their world is about to change completely.... Read Full Review
Three children. One long, boring school holiday at an ancient neighbour's.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Wished and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
Wished features in the following genres: Adventure Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Stories about Family and Friends, Fantasy / Magical, Featured Books for 9+ readers, Recommendations, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Books of the Month, Books Reviewed by our Reader Review Panels
Paperback, Hardback. £8.09, down from the £8.99 cover price. In Stock.
Wished was written by Lissa Evans and published by David Fickling Books
Wished has 272 pages
£8.09, reduced from £8.99. In Stock.
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