A Drop of Hope

Real life, legend, and magic collide in this engaging middle grade debut by Calabrese (Lena’s Shoes Are Nervous), set in the economically struggling Ohio town of Cliffs Donnelly, whose “Welcome to” sign has been defaced to delete all letters but “if only.” At the center of the intriguing maelstrom are three students at the aptly named Rod Serling Middle School, each coping with a thorny family situation, and Thompkins Well, buried deep in the woods, which according to local lore grants wishes to those in need. As the well’s power manifests itself piecemeal, lonely, overprotected Ernest, 11, takes to heart his dying grandfather’s wish that he clean out his attic, which the boy feels is “magically telling him to give things to people.” And each object, similarly enchantedly, “managed to end up where it belonged,” making unspoken, serendipitous wishes come true. Unforeseen new friends, brooding but generous Ryan and insightful Lizzy, join increasingly confident Ernest in his quest to get to the bottom of the well’s magic and protect its secret. Ancillary characters—a reformed bully, a caring teacher, an unscrupulous reporter—add to the eclectic mix, as Calabrese reaches the solid core of his layered novel: “You can’t fix the world. But you do your best in your own little corner of it. And you hope.” Ages 8–12. [em]Agent: Emily Mitchell, Wernick & Pratt Agency. (Feb.) [/em]