"Be Careful What You Wish For" by R.L. Stein

APA Citation:

         Stein, R.L. (1993). Be careful what you wish for. N.Y.,
                N.Y.: Scholastic Inc.

Plot Summary:
      

• Exposition:  Samantha Byrd gets tripped by Judith and kids make fun of her at school.
• Conflict:  Samantha and Judith do not get along because Judith is a bully.
• Rising Action:  Judith continues to bully Samantha which causes Samantha to accept a witch's three wishes that can help change her situation.
• Climax:  Samantha wishes come true and she fears Judith will grow to weak and die.
• Falling Action: Samantha uses her final wish to wish that Judith had met the witch instead.
• Resolution:  Samantha turns to a bird and flies away because Judith wishes it.

Literary Qualities:

• Situational Irony:  Stein takes his reader's breath away with the shocking ending of the story when Samantha ends up flying away as a bird.  It is definitely not what the reader expects to happen.

• Dialogue:  Stein's characters come to life and act as real children do when they are teasing or bullying another child (their language is that of school-age children).