Eleven-year-old Charlie has been making the same secret wish since fourth grade. But when she is sent to NC’s Blue Ridge Mountains to live with a family she barely knows, it seems unlikely her wish will ever come true. That is, until she meets Wishbone, a skinny dog who captures her heart, and Howard, a neighbor boy who proves surprising in many ways.

This new novel about a girl who unexpectedly learns the true meaning of family was written by award-winning author Barbara O’Connor of Asheville. Hardcover, $11.99 at barnesandnoble.com; softcover, $7.19; and Kindle, $5.67 at amazon.com. To learn more about the author, visit barbaraoconnor.com.