Booktalking Colorado - Full Booktalk Record

Booktalking Colorado Full Record:

	Title:	If I Had One Wish
	Author:	Koller, Jackie French
	Date Published:	1991
	Genre:	Fantasy
	Grade Level:	5 - 8
	Booktalker:	Marilyn Bunker

Booktalk:
How many times have you wished that your little brother or little sister had never been born. Maybe you were angry, or exasperated, or frustrated, but did you really mean it? Alec’s father expects a lot from him. He supposed to be the star of the basketball team, a straight A student. But he hates practicing, just because he is 6’2”, doesn’t make him a star. He could study harder, but there were always so many other exciting things to do besides study. Then of course his older sister, Kelly was great at everything soccer and school, which his Dad never lets him forget. One afternoon right before Christmas, he wants to go shopping with his friends and hang out at the mall. A little persuasion and Alec talks his Mother into letting him go to the Mall, but only if he takes his six-year old brother Stevie with him. While he's minding Stevie, Alec has girl troubles. Stevie keeps pestering him for a drink, a trip to the bathroom, an ice cream cone, a new toy. Alec wants to make things all right with Cindy. While he trying to figure out what to do about Cindy, Alec and his friend Muzzy take Stevie to the Toy Store. They spied the girls on a lower level, but did not want to take Stevie with them. So they send him off to the arcade with a handful of quarters. They charged down the curving stairway with Alec trailing behind. He knew that he shouldn’t have sent Stevie off by himself. As they went down the stair, there was an old woman who was slowly making her way up the stairs, and another of Alec’s friends, banged into her and she grabbed the railing to keep from falling. Mike also wrenched the shopping bag she was carrying from her hand. It tore open and spilled the contents down the stairs. Mike and the others kept going, without even a backward glance. As Alec walked by he saw her clutch her chest. Mike yelled for Alec to hurry up. But Alec saw a woman with frightened eyes. Her face was deeply lines and leathery. She was dressed in layers of soiled old clothing that smelled of sweat. A faded scarf of once bright colors was knotted under her chin. A few wisps of grey hair escaped from the scarf. She started to cough. Alec asked if she were OK. Alec apologized for his friends, the woman said nothing, she bent to pick up her belongings and ALec bent over to help. It was a strange assortment of things, empty cans, a box of dry cat food, pieces of clothing, safety pins, a wad of brown paper, a ball of string and some tin foil. Alec went and got her another shopping bag. He helped her climb the stairs. As he started to leave, the woman said, “You are a Good Boy.” She reached into her pocket and gave him a coin. It looked like a game token from Fun World. The woman said, “It’s not money. It’s a talisman. It will give you one wish. Use it with care.” Alec puts the talisman in his pocket and goes to find his friends. Muzzy’s mom comes to pick them up and Alec realizes that he had forgotten all about Stevie. He rushed to the arcade and bribes Stevie with a five-dollar bill, not to tell Mom and Dad that he had forgotten him. The next day, Stevie in a fit of anger tells what happened. Alec gets grounded until after New Year’s Day, no skiing, no anything. He picks up the talisman and says, “If I really had one wish it would be that precious little Stevie had never been born.” What happens to Alec? Is Stevie really gone? Will Alec’s life be better without Stevie? Be careful what you wish for