Wonderland

by Barbara O'Connor (Author)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

From Barbara O'Connor, the New York Times-bestselling author of Wish, comes a big-hearted story about the meaning of friendship, the challenges of growing up, and one lovable runaway dog.

Mavis Jeeter is fearless and bold, but she has never lived in one place long enough to have a real best friend. Her flighty mother has uprooted them again to another new home and taken a job as a housekeeper for the Tully family. Mavis wants this home to be permanent--which means finding herself a best friend.

Rose Tully is a worrier who feels like she doesn't quite fit in with the other girls in her neighborhood. Her closest friend is Mr. Duffy, but he hasn't been himself since his dog died. Rose may have to break a few of her mother's many rules to help Mr. Duffy--and find someone who really understands her.Henry has run away from home, but he craves kindness and comfort--and doesn't know where to look for them. When Mavis and Rose hatch a scheme to find Mr. Duffy a new dog, their lives and Henry's intersect--and they all come to find friendship in places they never expected.

Select format:
Paperback
$8.99

Publishers Weekly

Featuring sympathetic characters and a gratifying resolution, this novel by O'Connor (Wish) celebrates friendship human and canine alike. Fourth-grade graduate Mavis is tired of moving from one town to the next, following her mother's every whim, but they're on the road again, headed from Hadley, Ga., to Landry, Ala., where her mother will be housekeeper for the "rich" Tully family. Mavis's one hope is that they will stay in Landry long enough for her to find a real best friend, and her wish comes true quicker than she expects when she meets Mrs. Tully's daughter, Rose. Although the girls are complete opposites (Mavis is impulsive and daring; Rose is fearful and keen to follow rules), they have a common goal: finding a new hound for kind Mr. Duffy, who has been sad since his dog, Queenie, passed away. Meanwhile, Henry, a runaway greyhound hiding in the woods, is looking for a new owner. Told in alternating perspectives by Mavis, Rose, and Henry, the book highlights the girls' differences and the positive impact the friends make on each other's lives. Ages 8-12. Agent: Barbara Markowitz, Barbara Markowitz Literary Agency. (Aug.)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"Featuring sympathetic characters and a gratifying resolution, this novel by O'Connor celebrates friendship human and canine alike." —Publishers Weekly

"A richly satisfying exploration of the logic and determination with which children work to make things right." —Kirkus Reviews

"Mavis, Rose, and Henry all find that true, lasting friendship develops with time, trust, and a number of setbacks to overcome along the way. . .The honest but awkward new friendship between Rose and Mavis is heartwarming, but Henry's story is the one that will break sensitive readers' hearts and keep them turning the pages to get to the happy ending." —School Library Journal

"What distinguishes this novel is its depth of characterization, how O'Connor shows readers who the characters are rather than telling them. . .This heartwarming novel also demonstrates that while dogs may be revered as man's best friend, there's no substitute for the human kind." —The Horn Book

Barbara O'Connor
Barbara O'Connor was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina. She has written many award-winning books for children, including How to Steal a Dog and The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781250211385
Lexile Measure
800
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Byr)
Publication date
August 20, 2019
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV002070 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Dogs
JUV013000 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | General
Library of Congress categories
Friendship
Dogs
Alabama
Moving, Household
Best friends

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!