Didn't We all Want the Wishbone? Review of Judy Moody & Stink: The Wishbone Wish

Title: Judy Moody and Stink: The Wishbone Wish
By: Megan McDonald
Illustrated by Peter H. Reynalds


On your mark, get set, Gobblers-a-Go-Go! Judy swears she’ll win the race for a Thanksgiving turkey (though Stink has his doubts) in this full-color Moody adventure.

The town’s annual Turkey Trot race and festival is coming up, and Judy and Stink are training to win. Judy has decided that she is going to take home the big prize: a fat, juicy turkey. They can taste it already: the moist turkey, the hot gravy, the savory stuffing, the cranberry sauce! Beep! Beep! Beep!That’s the sound of Stink’s Rapidfire Ultra XE611M25 stopwatch going off as Judy and Stink hop, crawl, and climb toward race day. But what if they don’t win a mouthwatering bird? What then? Flying turkey gizzards! Will the Moody family end up starving on T-day, like ye pilgrims of olde, or will Grandma Lou cook up a tasty Franksgiving solution?

But it's more than that to this book!
With so many young people now getting involved in raising money for local food pantries and other charitable initiatives, Judy and Stink’s story about getting ready, set, gobblers-a-go-go for their local Thanksgiving Turkey Trot is a great way to keep spreading the word about the importance of supporting these ventures, and will hopefully encourage kids and parents to think about how they can get involved in helping local communities in the holiday season and beyond.

So not only is this a cute book, but it has a good message as well!  Having read the book I can attest to the fact that it does have a nice message, but the nice part is that it doesn't clobber you over the head with it! I think younger kids would find the book fun and get at kick, as always, out of Judy.  I loved how the family came together at the end when things didn't happen as they thought it would.  It as a sweet positive way to handle it! But beyond just that fun stuff (I mean really there was a girl dressed as a corncob!), I do think they'd get a bit of an understanding of Thanksgiving and giving and that's nice.  I even learned a bit by reading it about how Thanksgiving became a holiday! You can't ask more of a book for this age group - to be both fun and creating some learning as well!

Here's some praise for the book:

The latest installment in the Judy Moody and Stink series has the trademark humor and grade-school sensibility that its fans enjoy, as well as a surprise at the end when Grandma Lou saves the day. Reynolds’ lively and colorful digital illustrations appear throughout. This beginning chapter book, studded with historical facts, trivia, and wordplay related to Thanksgiving will amuse, and maybe even inform, young readers.
—Booklist