All of the adults in Mary's life seem to be obsessed with wishing. Mary's dad wants to be rich, and her mom wants to live in a bigger and better house. The principal of Mary's school wants to retire, and her teacher wants to be the new principal. They spend so much of their time wishing for things that they believe will leave them feeling completely satisfied and happy, but they are perplexed every time Mary expresses the one wish she has: to be Philberta. Maybe the mysterious storybook that Mary's always carrying around can help put an end to all of their useless wishing and remind them that there's nothing more gratifying than letting themselves get carried away by a good book.