Wenny Has Wings [Turtleback]

Janet Lee Carey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 30, 2004

After the accident, something big happened to Will North. Something that he is too scared to tell anyone about in case they think he's mad. For when the truck hit him and his sister Wenny, they found themselves flying through the most beautiful place they'd ever seen in their lives. And the only person he can talk to about it is Wenny. But she isn't here - she didn't come back. The doctor says that Will died for 10 minutes after the accident and that he's lucky to have survived. But Will doesn't think he's lucky. Everything has changed - his parents don't smile any more and he knows they blame him for what happened. He wishes he'd stayed in that happy place with Wenny...Written in a collection of letters to his sister, this is a beautifully crafted, deeply moving and ultimately uplifting novel.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Carey (Molly s Fire) brings a new approach to a familiar story line in this often heartrending novel, conveyed as a series of letters written by 11-year-old Will to his younger sister, who was killed in an accident that Will only barely survived. Will begins by relating his near-death experience and the peace he felt when he and Wenny were zooming around up there in that bright light. But Will s attempts to talk about that experience are waylaid by misunderstandings with his parents and by his father s deepening depression. As he tries to deal with the loss, grief and guilt with being stuck down here... on the outside of heaven Will also feels comforted by his certainty of Wenny s happy afterlife. While Carey sometimes strikes an overly sentimental chord, her characterizations are generally precise and poignant in their accuracy. For example, Will teams up with a classmate to try contacting Wenny via sEances and helium balloons; elsewhere, he doesn t understand why his mother gets so upset when he bakes a cake for Wenny s birthday. The unusual trim size (5" x 6.5") may help attract readers attention, and the intriguing and well-developed premise will likely sustain it. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6 Will North, 11, is in the hospital recuperating from an accident in which his little sister was killed. While still in the emergency room, he sees her flying free and happy in the sky, but returns to his body after seeing his parents' grief. He cannot speak to them about his survivor's guilt, his anger at his sister for dying, or his near-death experience. His father in particular has great difficulty in coping with his loss, eventually leaving the family in order to sort things out. Mr. James, a church youth leader, gives Will a notebook in which to write his feelings and the boy decides to write letters to Wenny, telling her what is going on. Through friendship with his good-natured hospital roommate and the patient, nonjudgmental Mr. James, Will works through the stages of grief and begins healing. The ending is hopeful, with the entire family enrolled in counseling. This book is a useful meditation on death and guilt, particularly for letting children know that adults may have difficulty in dealing with their emotions. Although Will can be a bit disingenuous and the other characters are not fully fleshed out, this novel's unusual focus on near-death experiences should appeal to some readers. -B. Allison Gray, South Country Library, Bellport, NY
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Turtleback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Demco Media (August 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0606307362
• ISBN-13: 978-0606307369
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)

More About the Author

~Things are never what they seem. Find the lost inside the dream ~
Janet Lee Carey is the award-winning author of seven Children's and YA novels. School Library Journal starred review says "Verdict: This is quite simply fantasy at its best-original, beautiful, amazing, and deeply moving."
Janet links each new book with a charitable organization empowering readers to make a difference in the world. She tours in US and abroad presenting at schools, children's book festivals, and conferences. http://www.janetleecarey.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wenny Has Wings, March 1, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Wenny Has Wings (Hardcover)

Wenny Has Wings

By: Janet lee Carey

(1.) This book is about a young boy named, Will and his sister named, Wenny. Will and Wenny where walking down the street and got ran over by a truck. Wenny died and went to heaven. Will's heart stopped for 10 minuets. Will said he sped through a dark tunnel when he died. Then we flew around in the sky. After that he said he woke up in the hospital. Will blames he's self for Wenny's death. He thinks there must have been something he could have done so prevent the accident. His parents said to him

"Why did it have to be Wenny?"

Will got very upset because we thought they meant they would rather have him die then Wenny. They meant why Wenny had to die. Will's pastor tells him that when he's angry, he should write letters to god, but Will decides he'd rather write to Wenny, so will writes to Wenny every day, maybe even 2 or 3 times a day. In his writing we talks about many things. Most of the time when Will writes to Wenny he is talking about stuff he did that day and some times he talks about how much he misses Wenny. 50% of the time he writes he is in the hospital trying to get well, so he can go home and go back to school to see all of his friends. When he gets home he is very excited, but that is just until his parents seem very depress. Will thinks that talking about his near-death experience may comfort his and help heal his family, but no one seems willing to listen to him and talk to him about it.

(2.) This book was very exciting to read because you did not know what was going to happen next. For example one of the notes Will wrote to Wenny said, "How much Will wanted to see Wenny. The next thing you know he is saying his mom is pregnant and she is getting ready to have a baby, so they are taking every thing out of Wenny's room and painting the room and putting in stuff for the new baby. The only thing that I really was disappointing was the end of the story. I thought it was disappointing because it just had the last letter and said love Will on it. It did not say anything like I will miss you or I will write to you soon again. It just stopped. I did not really like that.

(3.) I really liked Janet Lee Carey's writing because it's not like a long story where nothing really exciting happens. It is written more like an AIM or like a journal. I really enjoy these kinds of writings because I can relate to them a lot and I really enjoy writing AIM to friends. I have not read any other books by this author but I am soon planning on it.

(4.) If I could rate this book 1-10 I would defiantly rate it a 9. I would rate it a 9 because I really think it is a fantastic book. I would recommend you reading it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kandace's book review, December 14, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Wenny Has Wings (Paperback)

I thought that book was the best book that I have ever read. It was sad when Wenny died because of a truck. And it was just the way the book was made and I could proubly read this book any day. It was just the way the author had wrote the book alot of wondeful details in it and the book was just out standing. It was the the family was falling apart because of when Wenny died it changed everthing and then later through out the book it was like there family was like done the parents have been aruing alot and then at the end of the book well close to it they bacame a better family and Will felt like they were a family agian and the new baby was comming and there parents hated going into wennny room but they had to do it that was going to be the new babys room.Will made sure though to leave some of Wennys things in there for the baby and Will had been trying every thing to tell his parentsd about how he felt when he died and they would just nevr listen to him and will felt like he was just a nobody and he wanted all of that to change well it did and they alll became a great family agian and they were sill pretty happy except for when Wenny died

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wenny Has Wings, May 24, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Wenny Has Wings (Hardcover)

This book is written in a journal form. It's about a boy who writes to his dead sister after she has died from when they got hit by a truck. When she dies her brother starts writing in a journal that a man gave him. He writes down how many days shes be dead and tells her everything that happened that day.
When they get hit by the truck he stays alive but has a shattered shin and their cat as to have a cast put on her leg.
After awhile he gets to go home. His mom is about to have a baby and his parents are fighting. His dad thinks it's his fault that Wenny died. He pretty much locks himself in his office and doesn't come out. Finally they get in such a big fight that he leaves to go to a friends house. Will they fix their problems before the new baby arrives? If you like emotional books and want to find out if they fix things read Wenny Has Wings to find out.