Wheel on the School

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7-This 1955 Newbery Award-winner by Meindert Dejojng, set in a small Dutch fishing village, tells the story of a young girl and her simple composition about the storks that build their nests in neighboring villages. When the children wonder why the storks don't nest in their village, the stage is set for a dramatic challenge against all odds. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Lina, the only girl in the one-room school of the Dutch fishing village of Shora, wonders why storks no longer come to nest in her town. Her wondering sets off extraordinary events in the community as the children try to bring back the storks. Flosnik's unvoiced reading skillfully guides the listener through the myriad characters and convoluted events of this 1955 Newbery Award winner. But it is ultimately the story, with its strong portrayal of the power of hope and yearning to shape a community, that makes this listening experience rise above the ordinary. A bold choice for recording is carried off remarkably well. S.G. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine

-- The Times Literary Supplement
"The whole thing trembles with impatience and anxiety."

-- Commonweal
"Once more Mr. Dejong has written, with literary skill, a heartfelt story."

-- Saturday Review
". . . a happy story, written with the freshness and beauty and understanding of youngsters that make this author's stories unforgettable."

Book Description
Why do the storks no longer come to the little Dutch fishing village of Shora to nest? It was Lina, one of the six schoolchildren who first asked the question, and she set the others to wondering. And sometimes when you begin to wonder, you begin to make things happen. So the children set out to bring the storks back to Shora. The force of their vision put the whole village to work until at last the dream began to come true. Winner, 1955 Newbery Medal
Notable Children's Books of 1940–1970 (ALA)
1963 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award

About the Author
Meindert DeJong is the award-winning author of many classic books for children, including the Newbery Medal-winning The Wheel On The Schooland the Newbery Honor-winning Along Came A Dog, Shadrach,and The House Of Sixty Fathers, all available in Harper Trophy editions and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Among Mr. Sendak's other popular books is his Caldecott Medal-winning Where The Wild Things Are.


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. . . a happy story, written with the freshness and beauty and understanding of youngsters that make this author's stories unforgettable. Read all 9 "From The Critics" >


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