The Last Present: A Wish Novel

by Wendy Mass

Overview

Don't miss the latest entry in the incredible Willow Falls series by Wendy Mass!Amanda and Leo have a history with birthdays. Now their friend's little sister, Grace, has fallen into a strange frozen state on her birthday, and Amanda and Leo must travel in time in order to fix whatever's wrong. As they journey back to each of Grace's birthdays, they start seeing all sorts of patterns . . . which raise all sorts of questions.Amanda and Leo are going to have to unravel the threads of the past and present - and travel much further than they ever imagined - if they're going to save Grace. Luckily, a little birthday magic always helps in the charming and funny Willow Falls series by Wendy Mass, where everything is possible and there are no coincidences.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545583718
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	09/24/2013
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	585,213
Lexile:	690L (what's this?)
File size:	8 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Wendy Mass is the author of award-winning books for young readers, including 11 Birthdays, Finally, 13 Gifts, The Last Present, and the Twice Upon a Time series; as well as A Mango-Shaped Space, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall, Leap Day, Every Soul a Star, Space Taxi, and The Candymakers. She lives with her family in New Jersey.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for 11 Birthdays:*"A fresh twist on the familiar themes of middle-grade family and school dynamics." — Booklist, starred review*"Girls will relate to Amanda's insecurities, and the confidence and insight she gains will resonate." — Publishers Weekly, starred reviewPraise for Finally:"Finally is a treat — a delicious story about fitting in, falling down, and growing up. Wendy Mass has done it again!" — Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medal winner of When You Reach Me"Finally will have readers laughing, nodding in agreement, and sighing in sympathy." — TeensReadToo.comPraise for 13 Gifts:*"Mass keeps the plot jumping like a fireworks display; there's one surprise spark after another, all coming together at the end for a breathtaking finale." — School Library Journal, starred review"Philosophical and wryly humorous, this magical tale will satisfy both fans and new readers alike." — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

10/01/2013
Gr 4–7—In this installment in the series, Mass continues to weave reality with fantasy, action, and plot twists to draw readers into her story. The Last Present pairs 13-year-old best friends, Amanda and Leo, to unravel the mystery of why 10-year-old Grace has become catatonic following their friend David's bar mitzvah. While visiting Grace, Angelina D'Angelo appears as her nurse, and the friends know that the mysterious old woman with special powers is involved. Amanda and Leo are instructed to journey to the past, specifically to Grace's previous birthday parties, to undo a curse that has befallen her. But, do they have enough information to reverse it? Angelina has a habit of leaving out important pieces of a story in order to get her way. With the help of their friends, Amanda and Leo are up to the challenge and begin their time-travel adventure. Woven seamlessly into this fantasy are the realistic issues that tweens encounter. Young love, sibling rivalry, and embarrassing parents are as much a part of this adventure as the time travel. Although part of a series, The Last Present can stand on its own, but readers will want to find the earlier titles once they have visited Willow Falls.—Annette Herbert, F. E. Smith Elementary School, Cortland, NY

School Library Journal

2013-09-01
The latest volume in the Willow Falls series finds Amanda and Leo trying to save a young girl through a series of eventful time-traveling adventures. Magical, mysterious Angelina D'Angelo has set out quite the task for best friends Amanda and Leo. For 10 years, Angelina has been thwarted as she attempted to place a benediction on a young girl named Grace, who now languishes in a coma. Amanda and Leo must time travel to Grace's prior birthday parties to ensure that the benediction successfully occurs, and they must get it right not once, but three times, to save her. Or so Angelina says. The friends discover that the story is more complicated and that it is wrapped up with Angelina's own closely guarded secrets. Character development and closure are key here. Amanda and Leo do a lot of growing up as they negotiate complicated ethical terrain as well as a relationship evolving from friendship into romance. Further, Mass successfully weaves together the stories of familiar characters from previous volumes and finally reveals a full picture of Angelina, the powerful, flawed puppet master of the previous episodes. While the tale has general appeal, it is most suited for devoted series fans, who will most appreciate the tying up of loose ends and revelation of long-held secrets. (Fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews