The Wishing Club: A Story About Fractions (Hardcover)

by Donna Jo Napoli (Author), Anna Currey (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3—The nighttime magic of a wishing star provides the framework for a realistic story about fractions. When four children receive only a fraction of their wishes, they discover a pattern. Petey, who is four, gets one-fourth of a dollar, while two-year-old Joey gets half a cookie; eight-year-old twins Sally and Samantha each get one-eighth of a bag of marbles. On the last night that the comet is visible, the siblings decide to combine their wishes and ask for the pet they all want. Napoli's story moves smoothly between the magic of wishes granted and the reality of working with fractions. While getting half a cookie is fine, getting half a pig wouldn't do at all. Currey's watercolor-and-ink illustrations evoke summer nights when barefoot youngsters lean on porch railings and look at the stars. With faces illuminated by paper lanterns, lighted windows, and starlight, they examine cookies, quarters, and marbles. Simple, unobtrusive pictures show how much of each is required to make a whole. The mix of magic and math is irresistible. While children can read the book themselves, librarians will want the pleasure of reading it aloud and exploring the possibilities the author provides in a note at the end.—Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN
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From Booklist
Math is a magical part of everyday family life in this warm story by award-winning children's novelist Napoli. When Joey, Petey, and their sister Sally wish upon a star, they get what they wish for, only not all of it. Sally's twin, Samantha, tells them to chant the verse Star light, star bright . . . and she works out the pattern: Joey, age 2, gets half of what he wants; Petey, age 4, gets a quarter; Sally, who is 8, gets 10 marbles, one-eighth of a full bag of 80. Then the kids work out how they can get one whole thing if they all wish for it together. Currey's soft-toned ink-and-watercolor illustrations show the complex number patterns in small diagrams along with scenes of the family on their porch, wishing on the star under the night sky. In the style of Stuart's Mathstart series, the story ends with fascinating questions and suggested activities. Rochman, Hazel

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (July 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805076654
• ISBN-13: 978-0805076653
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #460,389 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars cute, November 11, 2007

By	Melissa Sack (georgia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Four young children wish on a star one night. They seem to think that something must be wrong with the star because each kid only gets a fraction of the thing they wish for. They decide that if they all wished for the same thing that all together they might get a whole item! They wish for pig. Will their idea work?