Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did the book’s structure, with three separate but connected stories framed by Stew Meat’s narration, affect your reading experience? Did you have a favorite of the three wishes, and what made that particular story stands out to you?

2. The story draws on the classic “ill-fated wish” trope, famously used in W. W. Jacobs’s “The Monkey’s Paw.” How did you feel The Wish Giver handled this literary convention? In what ways did its cautionary tales feel fresh or traditional to you?

3. Were you satisfied with how Stew Meat resolved the crises with his single wish? What does his selfless act suggest about the book’s message regarding individual desires versus community well-being?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Each of the young characters makes a wish based on what they think will make them happy: Polly wants popularity, Rowena wants romance, and Adam wants an easier life. Think about a time when you wanted something badly. How does this story make you reflect on the difference between what we wish for and what we truly need?

2. Polly’s journey involves realizing that the social status she craved was actually shallow and unfulfilling. Have you ever pursued a goal only to discover that it wasn’t what you really wanted? What did you learn from that kind of experience?

3. Rowena mistakes Henry’s charm for genuine affection and overlooks the people who truly care about her. What qualities do you think are most important in earning your trust or admiration? How have your priorities in relationships changed over time, if at all?

4. Adam’s wish grows out of his frustration with difficult responsibilities, but he ultimately learns to face those challenges rather than escape them. How do you usually respond when faced with a responsibility that feels overwhelming? What kinds of experiences have helped you become more confident in handling difficult situations?

5. By the end of the novel, Polly, Rowena, and Adam all gain a better understanding of themselves through mistakes they wish they could undo. How has reflecting on a past mistake—or simply gaining more life experience—shaped the way you approach similar situations today?

Explore how the novel reflects broader cultural traditions, historical influences, and social values.

1. The Wish Giver draws on the long tradition of cautionary wish tales, including stories such as “The Monkey’s Paw” and the myth of King Midas, in which wishes are granted with unintended consequences. Why do you think stories about getting exactly what you wished for continue to appeal to readers across different cultures and generations?

2. Coven Tree is a community where stories of witches, magic, and local folklore are part of the town’s history and identity. Is there anywhere near you with a history or identity like this? How does it impact that community? 

3. Stew Meat chooses to use his only wish to help others instead of himself. What does this decision suggest about the novel’s view of generosity and responsibility within a community? Where do you see examples of community responsibility in your own life?

Explore how the novel develops characters, themes, symbolism, and narrative techniques.

1. Blinn warns each character that their wish will be granted “exactly as [they] ask for” (4). How does Brittain use the contrast between figurative language and literal wish fulfillment to create irony throughout the novel?

2. Polly’s croaking, Henry’s transformation into a tree, and the flooding of the Fiske farm are all magical consequences of the characters’ wishes. How do these transformations function as symbols of each character’s desires, misunderstandings, or personal challenges?

3. Sam and Henry represent two very different kinds of love interests. How does Brittain use these contrasting characters to shape Rowena’s character development and challenge her assumptions about love?

4. Stew Meat tells the story as someone who witnessed the events and later reflects on them. How does this frame narrative influence the way readers interpret the magical events and the novel’s lessons?

5. Although each wish story has its own beginning, conflict, and resolution, they’re connected through the same setting, narrator, and magical premise. How does this structure strengthen the novel as a whole?

Use your imagination to explore the characters, setting, and themes in new ways.

1. Imagine that Blinn returns to Coven Tree years after the events of the novel. Which character do you think would respond most differently to seeing him again, and why? How might that encounter reflect what the character has learned?

2. If you could write a fourth wish story set in Coven Tree, what kind of character would you introduce, what wish might they make, and how could that wish explore a new lesson while still fitting the novel’s pattern of unintended consequences?

3. Suppose you could rewrite one of the three wishes without changing the character’s original goal. Which wish would you rewrite, how would you phrase it differently, and do you think Blinn would still find a way to twist it?