Amy's three best things
Amy conjures up her wishes while she is asleep in Philippa Pearce’s Amy’s Three Best Things, stunningly illustrated by Helen Craig. Photograph: Walker Books
Julia Eccleshare
As a child I loved stories which had wishes in them. They allowed me to imagine so many possibilities even though I knew really that they couldn’t happen. It was a way of making me think that the best could always happen and I think it made me more hopeful as a child. Are stories with wishes in them still popular? Or does the whole idea seem too incredible nowadays?
Wishes are still popular! As you discovered in your childhood, they allow you to hope for something even if in reality you know it is never likely to happen. It is a kind of dreaming but with a bit of extra power behind it.

Stories have long been a perfect place to explore the possibilities – good and bad – of wishes. However, the luxury of having them always comes with the attendant risks of making a terrible mistake in how you use them. 
More