It's 1964. LBJ is in the White House, Meet the Beatles is on everyone's turntable. and Felix Funicello (distant cousin of Annette!) is trying to navigate fifth grade — easier said than done when you bear a striking resemblance to a certain adorable cartoon boy. 

Wally Lamb takes his readers into the halls of St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parochial School, where Mother Filomina's world is law and goody-two-shoes Rosalie Twerski is minding everyone's business. Grammar and arithmetic move to the back burner though, with the arrivals of substitute teacher Madame Frechette, straight from Quebec, and feisty Russian student Zhenya Kabakova. While Felix learns the meaning of French kissing, cultural misunderstanding, and tableaux vivants, Wishin' and Hopin' is a vivid slice of 1960s life, a wise and witty holiday tale that celebrates where we've been — and how far we've come.

Condition: Pre-loved book. Minor yellowing of pages. Otherwise in good condition.

Format: Paperback, larger print
Year published: 2009
Pages: 216
Sub-genre: Humour, historical fiction
Imprint: HarperCollins