Wish on a Unicorn

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Wish on a Unicorn Page 8

by Karen Hesse


  The store wouldn’t open for another ten minutes. It didn’t matter. A thick crowd of children bundled in their woolen coats had already gathered in front of the plate glass. They pointed to the mountain of candy. They pointed to the two stuffed bears balanced at its peak.

  Our entire family entered the shop. As Papa removed one of the bears from the candy mountain, outside a dozen earnest eyes under caps and hoods followed its path. A dozen disappointed lids blinked as the bear moved toward Benjamin’s waiting arms.

  Benny’s eyes lit up like candles. He dropped the soggy rag and reached out his hands, moving his little fingers in a gimme, gimme.

  * * *

  That was five months ago.

  Now, it’s Brooklyn summer.

  The candy business has dropped off as the bear business has taken over. Every day inside girls fill our flat with bear making. Every day outside girls deliver boxes of finished bears. Papa pays fair and the girls come and go, happy.

  Benjamin and his bear are never apart.

  Dilly is paying for his kids’ bears with pickles.

  And Mr. Kromer, his clarinet sasses under the brassy July sun. As the trolleys clang past, a bear sits in the open clarinet case. By noon, most days, that stuffed bear sits on a small hill of coins.

  About the Author

  Karen Hesse is the author of many books for young people, including Out of the Dust, winner of the Newbery Medal, Letters from Rifka, Brooklyn Bridge, Phoenix Rising, Sable and Lavender. In addition to the Newbery, she has received honors including the Scott O’Dell Historical Fiction Award, the MacArthur Fellowship “Genius” Award and the Christopher Award, and was nominated for a National Jewish Book Award. Born in Baltimore, Hesse graduated from the University of Maryland. She and her husband Randy live in Vermont. You can sign up for email updates here.

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  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Gofish: Questions for the Author

  Teaser

  About the Author

  Copyright

  An Imprint of Macmillan

  WISH ON A UNICORN. Copyright © 1992 by Karen Hesse. All rights reserved. For information, address Square Fish, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

  Square Fish and the Square Fish logo are trademarks of Macmillan and are used by Henry Holt and Company under license from Macmillan.

  Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at [email protected].

  Originally published in the United States by Henry Holt and Company

  Square Fish logo designed by Filomena Tuosto

  First Square Fish Edition: March 2009

  www.squarefishbooks.com

  eISBN 9781250103604

  First eBook edition: October 2015

 

 

 


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