The Three and Many Wishes of Jason Reid - Softcover

Grade 3-6 For readers who ever wondered why the fisherman's third wish wasn't for more wishes, this is the book. Jason encounters Quicksilver, Elster of the Third Order, and multiplies the wishes he's been granted by three and many. Instead of being a tale of contemporary greed, this is the story of a kid with a conscience. Jason tries hard to use his wishes to solve the problems of the world. When he meets with little success, he succumbs to short bouts of materialism, but only to prove to himself the wishes are real. Exponentially multiplied wishes exhaust Quicksilver, and when Jason and his friend Penny finally conceive of an achievable but worthy project, they take pity on the Elster and finally release him. The natural conversational style of the text adds to readers' ability to accept these remarkable events as normal. Altogether, these Wishes make a light and pleasant turnabout with likable contemporary characters, easy reading, and high interest. One detraction is the jacket illustration, in which Jason looks closer to 8 than 11. Otherwise, this is an enjoyable book with plenty of appeal for middle grade and reluctant readers. Carolyn Noah, Worcester Public Library, Mass.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.