The Wish Doctor Will See You Now: The Wish Doctor by Mark E. Shupe

“Wishes on stars are maybe the most powerful. If you really need a wish to come true, wish on a star. Just be careful. They can also cause the most problems if they go wrong.”
― Mark E. Shupe, The Wish Doctor

Have you ever wished and wished and wished for something only to have your wish backfire? If you have then you may have met the Wish Doctor, wearing his tweed jacket, glancing at his wish watch, arriving to fix your wishtake. The Wish Doctor has been fixing wishtakes for many, many years and would like to retire, but to do so he needs to find someone to replace him. At the Lodge of Wonders in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, a new group of clever, carefully selected students are all set to start their training, and maybe, just maybe there will be a capable candidate in this batch willing to replace him.

The first in a fun, fantastical debut series by Mark E. Shupe, The Wish Doctor introduces us to a class of talented students and a magical bear named Ron who are starting at the School of Wish where the knowledge of palindromes, Morse code, sign language, and the ability to speak backward are just as important if not more important than math and science. We are also introduced to a previous occupant of the Lodge, and a dear friend of the fine Doctor who assists the Doctor’s work with helpful inventions. As the story progresses, we learn right alongside the students about the types of wishes, wish mistakes, wish reversals, how to make a better wish, and even the importance of speaking clearly or checking your spelling when writing a wish. The students go on a variety of field trips, some of which beautifully showcase features and key aspects of the Maritimes.

The Wish Doctor is chock full of witty puns which I’m sure will have you either chuckling or groaning out loud when you read them. He also introduces us to fun and magical foods and drinks, magical devices, and the dangers of birthdays. Using my intuwishin this story, suitable for ages 10 to 100, would make a great family read-aloud, creating lots of fun discussions (even in adult book clubs), and is a brilliant foundation for a wonderful series, with each installment anticipated and I’m sure, celebrated when it’s released.

Every year on his birthday since he was 12, Mark Shupe has made a wish that someday he could share his overactive imagination through his writing.A Bachelor of Journalism graduate, Mark gave up a career as a sportswriter (he hosted an international TV show, “Running”) to write edgy and tightly-worded audit reports for a ginormous corporation. He and famous author Lana Shupe have Wishlight Cottage, at Sandy Point on Nova Scotia’s South Shore, after years of living in Calgary.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Moose House Publications (Dec 1 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 322 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1998149234
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1998149230

Sue Slade

Sue Slade has a Bachelor of Child Study from Mount St. Vincent University in Halifax. After working with children and adults with special needs, she now has her midlife dream job of working with books. Sue manages an independent, locally owned bookstore, Dartmouth Book Exchange. Through her charismatic sharing centred around books and community, Sue has created an engaging cornerstone for authors, customers, and book lovers of all ages. Sue is an avid reader and her reviews cross over many genres.