Wish

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What do you picture when you visualize mountains? What is unique about living in the mountains?

Teaching Suggestion: Charlie is uprooted from a city, Raleigh, and sent to a small town in the mountains. In fact, she talks about her new home leaning off the mountain on stilts. If students live in the mountains, incorporating that personal connection could add meaning to the novel. If not, the resources here would become even more important to students’ visualizing Charlie’s days. Since mountains are usually visually stunning, begin by having students imagine them. Then include photographs to continue that journey. Both resources here include multiple links and could be used for group or independent research. Alternatively, or in addition, presenting and discussing as a whole class specific images from the resources might lead to students hearing more of their classmates’ ideas.

• This resource from two outdoor and travel experts includes images and background information about the Blue Ridge mountains.
• This National Park Services site provides photographs, maps, and articles about the Blue Ridge Parkway.

2. What does neglect mean? What does it mean to neglect a child? How does neglect affect a child?

Teaching Suggestion: Charlie experiences neglect and abandonment in different forms from her parents. Her father is in prison so cannot take care of her. Her mother leaves home for a while and then experiences depression, which makes her care for Charlie sporadic. The subject of neglect and abandonment, a key theme in this unit, can also be difficult for students. Offering advance warning of the topic and encouraging students to talk with a trusted adult is important. Learning more about the issue before reading the novel might provide more perspective on Charlie’s thoughts and actions.

• “Neglect” from Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child includes a 6-minute video and an article on how neglect and other forms of abuse impact children.
• This NPR text includes an article and an 8-minute audio about how neglect affects brain development, including both immediate and long-term effects.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

If you could wish for anything, what would it be? Explain your choice or choices.

Teaching Suggestion: Charlie has made a wish every day for a long time. Throughout the novel, she finds creative ways to make wishes. We don’t learn what she has been wishing for until the end of the book, but the act of wishing is central. One way to open this discussion would be to ask for different ways students have heard to make wishes: Throwing coins into a well, blowing out birthday candles, etc. Also, many stories and movies involve wishes, which could provide another entry point into the topic. The link to Silverstein’s book includes poems about wishes on pages 9 and 69. Reading the poems would provide a chance for poetry analysis and an opportunity to discuss the different ideas about wishes and how they connect or do not connect to those offered by students.

• Where The Sidewalk Ends By Shel Silverstein includes many poems to explore, including two on wishing.

Differentiation Suggestion: For kinesthetic learners, acting out the poems or ways to wish could incorporate their learning style. Also, having posters with wishes around the room and asking students to stand by the poster they most connect with could be powerful.