" 'Be careful what you wish for' is the lesson that resounds throughout this offbeat fairy tale about a farm girl who calls her brother a pig at the exact moment she wishes upon a star," <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">PW said. Ages 8-12. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Sept.)

Where's Willie? It's not like him to miss a meal. Has 11-year-old Louise Tolliver's pesky older brother vanished, just as their daddy disappeared seven years before? But wait a minute! Where did that white pig come from--the one that suddenly shows up on the farm? And how about that big, old hoot owl that haunts the hills? Well, Tolliver's Hollow is said to be a peculiar place, and even the wishing star that twinkles overhead is contrary. Beware of what you've wished for, it glitters. Wise words of warning, but they may be too late. Maybe, as Mama muses, the magic is getting out of hand around here. Maybe. But Louise thinks she has a plan to fix things--a plan that involves wishes, kisses, and pigs. Hearne's warmhearted story of plain and fancy magic is a tad predictable in places, but Louise is a spirited heroine, and as for those pigs--well, they're enchanting.

Gr 3-6-Louise Tolliver loves Tolliver's Hollow, the "peculiar" place where she lives with her mother and brother. She just wishes that her father hadn't disappeared seven years ago, and that her brother didn't tease her so much. Still, when she calls Willie a pig as the evening star appears, she never meant for him to become one. Then certain folks become a little too interested in the new pig, whom they think would be perfect to serve at the town's picnic, and the sheriff and his brother both want to court her mother. When Louise's first attempt at rectifying the wish gone awry only causes more problems, she has to think very carefully about how to put things right. Hearne has written a delightful novel about the dangers of getting what you wish for. Louise is an engaging girl who is determined to bring order to her disorderly world. This is not an easy thing to do, but she accomplishes it through ingenuity, perfect timing, and a heap of luck. The colloquialisms used to describe farm life accentuate the rural charm of the plot. Children will enjoy this enchanting story as much as the parents with whom they will want to share it.-Betsy Fraser, Calgary Public Library, Canada Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

When Louise Tolliver's pesky brother Willie turns his back on an argument to go feed the pigs, she calls after him, "You ARE a pig." Willie disappears at the same time that a blue-eyed pig turns up at the farm, and Hearne plays further tall-tale havoc with the family before she restores order. Down-home humor enlivens the enchantments, and Hearne skillfully builds the escalating mayhem in lightning-quick chapters.