The Wish Stealers Book Club Activities

Book Summary

An old lady gives Griffin a box with 10 pennies in it and a note that said she was the new “Wish Stealer.” The pennies were labeled: STOP, No Homework, Puppy, Change the World, Popular, Baby, Success, Dad, Most beautiful, World Peace, One Blank. As the wish stealer, all of her evil wishes would come true and all of her good wishes would not. The old lady had watched people throw coins in a fountain and she would go and collect the coin and then write down their wish on each penny. Through the book, she tries to return the wishes to people so that the curse would be lifted. She gives a girl “most beautiful” because she wants to be a dancer. She gives the “success” to a violin player. She gives the “dad” to Garrett because he misses his dad. She gives a puppy to an old lady that wanted a puppy. Griffin works on a science project with Garrett on how alchemists tried to change lead to gold. They do a fundraiser to raise pennies for money for the rain forest. Her grandmother reveals at the end that she had seen the girl stealing wishes and had thrown her own coins. One she wished for the wish stealer to “STOP” and one she wished silently. A third penny she kept to make her own luck.

The Wish Stealers by Tracy Trivas

Book Work Story Summary: Start with “Griffin goes to an antique store and an old lady gives her a box with pennies in it and a letter about a curse….” Each child adds on a couple of sentences to summarize the story.

Small Group Discussion Questions

Do you have anything that you consider lucky?

Griffin’s grandmother told her that she was a wish giver not a wish stealer. What are you?

The book had a group of travelling witches that gave messages to Griffin. Did you think that the witches were real or just actresses?

“E pluribus unum out of many one.” Pennies add up. Griffin and Garrett were able to raise over $5000 with a penny drive. Did you know that an estimated $4,000 is thrown into the Trevi Fountain in Rome each day.$12,000 a year is thrown into the Bellagio Resort fountain. Why do you think we have “E pluribus unum out of many one.” on our penny?

The Indian Head penny that Mariah gave Griffin turned out to be worth $150. The US Mint stopped making Indian Head pennies in 1809. They started making pennies with Lincoln’s head on the front. The back keeps changing. (Show pictures). Some people collect pennies. (Show penny folders) Do you have any collections?

     

Luck Penny Activity (http://www.candlewick.com/book_files/0763656488.kit.1.pdf)

Materials: A colored index card or card stock, Decorative Scissors, Penny, Double Sided Tape, Markers

1. Cut out a card for the penny in any shape you like.

2. Tape the penny onto the card.

3. Write a lucky message using marker:

Good Luck Today! Lucky Wednesday! Pick Me Up! Share the Luck!

(If time allows, take your group around the school and leave your lucky pennies waiting to be found!)

Small Group Discussion Questions

Griffin has a secret Mysterium Collection Box under her bed with “Two eagle feathers passed down by her great-grandfather before they become illegal to keep, half of a heart from her best-friend-forever necklace she share with Libby Barrett, an old lace valentine her grandma made as a girl, and three smooth, lucky stones.” Do you have a secret box where you keep treasures? Where would you keep it? What would it contain?

Griffin made 7 wishes when she said “It looks like it’s going to rain” at the same time as her mother (one for each word). If you could make just 3 wishes, what would they be for?

When mysterious things would happen in the story, the weather would often be stormy. Why? Weather can be used by writers to set a mood for a story. What types of feelings do you get when it is snowy? Sunny? Foggy?

Griffin was scared and didn’t know what to do with the box. She didn’t tell her parents because she was afraid of the curse. Should she have told them?

Mariah gave Griffin the black obsidian stone that she could use to see the future. Would you want to be able to see the future?

Wish Guessing Game

I found some wish stealer pennies. (Each child takes a turn as the drawer and pulls out one penny clue.

Clue giver useswhite board with dry erase markers)

Clues are: Hair, Happy, Clean room, Homerun, Snow, Baby, Ice cream, Friday, Beach

After the clues have been guessed. Share ideas for who they think might have made these wishes.

Change these Wish Stealers into Wish Givers

Read each scenario from the story.  Have two students act it out with a new dialogue where Mr. Blackwell and Kristina’s mom are Wish Givers.

Scenario 1.

Garrett and Griffin: We are doing a science project on how alchemists tried to turn metal into gold. We want to do a fundraiser to turn pennies into gold for a charity and we need to get your approval.

Mr. Blackwell: Do you really think pennies will help save the Amazon rain forest? It’s not worth your effort.

Scenario 2.

Kristina: I want to take ballet lessons so that I can be a beautiful ballerina.

Mom: Ballet lessons are a waste of money because only one percent of ballet dancers can get a job or make a living.

Snack: Cups of “Lucky Charms”

Extra Time Activities

(Drawing Game) Take turns drawing things that are either lucky or unlucky

Rabbits Foot, 4 Leaf Clover, Wishbone, Horseshoe, Coins in wishing wells, Eyelash, Holding your breath in a tunnel, Walking under a ladder, breaking a mirror, black cat crosses your path

Extra Discussion Questions:

Have you ever made a wish you could take back?

Do you think it is wrong to steal people’s wishes? Why?

How can you be a wish giver?

If you could wish for no homework or no school, would you do it?