Wishing Star Summer

Deborah Dowson is a Canadian children’s librarian living in Powell,
Ohio.

Eleven-year-old Jillian hears about a program that chooses Canadian
families to host children from Belarus for the summer, and she is
determined to convince her parents to participate. Jillian knows that
this is a wonderful opportunity to help children whose lives have been
adversely affected by the radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear
plant accident. However, her main motive is a selfish one; she wants to
secure a companion for the lonely summer months ahead. Since moving to
Vancouver, Jillian has had a miserable time. Instead of making friends,
she has managed to alienate the girls in her new classroom. But
Jillian’s summer plan doesn’t work out as she had imagined. Her new
guest steals all the attention and covets Jillian’s most precious
belongings. Jillian is challenged to broaden the scope of her concern
and, as she lets go of some of her fears, she is able to grasp a new
sense of friendship and belonging.

Contemporary preteen readers will identify with Jillian’s absolute
honesty of expression, defiant attitude, and depth of feeling. Her
companion from Belarus is just as feisty, and some very intense and
shocking behavior results when the two express their frustration with
the situation. The realistic style is a perfect platform for the
real-life issues and problems facing the children of Belarus. This is a
book of tremendous value for its social, intellectual, and emotional
realism. Highly recommended.