Joseph Monninger, professor of English

When a wish foundation sends 11-year-old Tommy, who has cystic fibrosis, on his dream trip to swim with great white sharks, his devoted 15-year-old sister, Bee, is determined to make it an unforgettable memory. Little does she expect to discover along the way that she has a few secret wishes of her own …

“When I was in eighth grade,” says Monninger, “I came across a book about a series of shark attacks that took place off the New Jersey coastline not far from where I grew up, and I have been a lover of shark tales ever since. Unfortunately, the overwhelming popularity of Jaws just about killed the chance of anyone writing a new story about sharks, so I had to figure out a way to write about sharks while also braiding in a second story line. That’s what I’ve attempted to do in Wish.”