What You Wish For

Written to benefit Darfuri refugees, this compelling collection of short stories and poems, penned by Newbery medalists and bestselling authors, explores the power of wishes.

What You Wish For: A book for Darfur has brought together a potent roster of international talent, from Francisco X. Stork’s hopeful “The Rules for Wishing,” where a young man living in an unusual group home learns what it means to make a wish, to Cornelia Funke’s spirited “Rosanna,” where magic goes awry when a bully set his sights on the title character, to John Green’s thoughtful “Reasons,” where a boy loves an unattainable girl completely and honestly. Then there’s the heartrending sacrifice one dying girl makes for another in Karen Hesse’s stunning “Nell”; a bullied boy’s poignant wish for a friend in Meg Cabot’s “The Protectionist”; and many, many more gems, including poems and even a graphic story from some the best talent writing for children today.

Each story and poem has its own affecting power and celebrates the simple wishes—home, family, safety and love, things we all wish for—of the Darfuri refugees this collection honors with incredible grace, beauty, and ofttimes humor. What You Wish For is a collection poised to leave an indelible mark.

This collection will benefit the literacy and education of Darfuris by supporting library development in refugee camps. Book Wish Foundation, an all-volunteer 501 (c)(3) public charity founded by a mother-and-son team, organized the collection and will donate its proceeds to the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR.

Authors: Alexander McCall Smith, Gary Soto, Nikki Giovanni, Meg Cabot, Karen Hesse, Naomi Shihab Nye, Nate Powell, Ann M. Martin, Cornelia Funke, Jane Yolen, Sofia Quintero, R. L. Stine, Joyce Carol Oates, Cynthia Voigt, Marilyn Nelson, Francisco X. Stork, John Green, and Jeanne DuPrau