By Pamela Collins
A Drop of Hope
Author: Keith Calabrese
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Meet 6th graders Ernest, Ryan, Lizzie and their teacher, Mr. Earle. They all live in the town of Cliffs Donnelly.
The sign going into the town had been spray-painted by graffiti artists but they left the letters IF ON LY. This became the name that the locals used for their town: IF ONLY.
As the town was quite poor, the people could be heard saying, “IF ONLY I had a better job, IF ONLY we had enough money to buy groceries…”
One day in class, Mr. Earle tells the kids about an old landmark in town known as the wishing well where people would drop money in the well and make a wish. Ernest, Ryan and Lizzie find a hidden path to the old well and overhear people, even kids from their class, come and make wishes.
Over time, they hear many wishes and Ryan is surprised how often people make wishes for others and not themselves. Those are the ones he remembers the most.
Ernest is a dreamer and he wants to find ways to make these wishes come true. Ryan is a realist and thinks they should just leave well enough alone. Lizzie is a smart kid and thinks she has all the answers.
As a series of events happens in the town, the kids discover that their wishes and the wishes of others might actually be coming true. The kids start getting involved in the wishes people make and they begin to realize that helping others can be more powerful than they ever imagined.
Each character has their own struggles, but the way their stories connect shows how people can lift each other up without even knowing it. The author writes, “The strongest friendships are often based on the little things.”
What I liked about A Drop of Hope is how it reminds us that everyone has the power to make a difference, even if in small ways. The story is full of hope, friendship and surprises. It also teaches that you don’t have to be a superhero to help someone – you just have to care.
As Ryan realizes, “You can’t fix the world but you can do your best in your own little corner of it, you can give hope – one wish at a time.”
Young readers will enjoy the humour, the mystery and magic of the wishing well, and the way the characters’ lives weave together like a puzzle. There are so many other interesting characters in the book but you will have to read it to discover them all.
This book encourages kindness, empathy, and believing that good things can happen, even when life gets hard. It leaves you with good feelings and shows how one small good deed can ripple out and change someone’s world.
If you like stories about friendship, magic that feels almost real, and characters who discover their own strengths, A Drop of Hope is a fun choice to read. This book is available at our local Port Union library.