A mummified monkey's paw carrying a spell grants three wishes to each of its owners and fulfills them in unexpected and terrible ways. Includes an analysis of the story and a biography of the author.

"Unsure of how to get her family's attention, Charlie comes across the surprise of her life one day while ice-fishing...in the form of a floppy, scaly fish offering to grant her a wish in exchange for its freedom"-- Provided by publisher.

"A red oak tree and a crow help their human neighbors work out their differences"-- Provided by publisher. An old red oak tree tells how he and his crow friend, Bongo, help their human neighbors get along after a threat against an immigrant family is carved into the tree's trunk.

In a moment of fright, Sylvester the donkey asks his magic pebble to turn him into a rock but then can not hold the pebble to wish himself back to normal againches

Wilma, having been granted her wish to be the most popular girl in school, forgets that she will graduate from eighth grade in three weeks and her popularity will vanish.

James, Laura, and Deborah along with their friends Kip, Lydia, and Gordy relate their experiences when the unpredictable old wishing well in the backyard continues to involve them in a variety of magical adventures.

Nai-nai tells her granddaughters the story of her outing, as a seven-year-old girl in China, to see the Moon Lady and be granted a secret wish.

"When social worker Jax receives nine missed calls from her older sister, Lexie, she assumes that it's just another one of her sister's episodes. Manic and increasingly out of touch with reality, Lexie has pushed Jax away for over a year. But the next day, Lexie is dead: drowned in the pool at their grandmother's estate. When Jax arrives at the house to go through her sister's things, she learns that Lexie was researching the history of their family...

For Ruby Pepperdine, the center of everything is on the rooftop of Pepperdine Motors, stargazing from the circle of her grandmother Gigi's hug. That's how everything is supposed to be--until it goes spinning out of control. Now Ruby's best friend, Lucy, is mad at her. Her new friendship with Nero is pretty bumpy too. Worst of all, Ruby regrets what happened with Gigi. How Ruby didn't listen. And now it's too late to make things right. But Ruby has...

When Henry's cousin Annie prepares to move in next door, he and Mudge help calm her fears.