But the only child who comes back is Catty, who is confined to a wheelchair ever since becoming very ill, around the same time that the children all left Bishop Mayne.  Nuria is thrilled to have a friend, if a little cranky about sharing all the things she considers to be hers.  Soon she discovers that Catty wants her to make a wish so that Catty won’t have to use a wheelchair anymore.  As you can imagine, this doesn’t work out as well as they are hoping.

Actually, this book isn’t that wonderful, now that I’m a grown-up.  It’s that sort of fairly obvious be-careful-what-you-wish-for type of book that you don’t need to read more than once, even if you are a kid.  And ordinarily I’d just post it on Paperbackswap, except that it’s actually from my elementary school library, all stamped and with the cards that I remember, and I feel too nostalgic for second grade to give it up.  I’ll probably cling to it for another few years, run out of bookshelf space, and end up listing it on Paperbackswap anyway – but for now, it’s staying with me.

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