The Wheel on the School [Paperback]

Meindert DeJong (Author), Maurice Sendak (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

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

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6-Although a bit slow-paced, this 1955 Newbery Award-winner by Meindert DeJong (Harper, 1954) is pleasant and positive. Curious schoolgirl Lina wonders why there are no longer any storks in her Dutch village. Determined to lure the storks (symbols of good fortune) back, Lina inspires the whole community to cooperate and get to know each other better in their effort to locate wheels in which storks can nest. Lina is a spunky girl who does not give up on her dream. The characters are likeable and get into dangerous and suspenseful situations. Their names may sound strange to the American ear (e.g., Auka, Jella, Eelka). Listeners will learn something about Danish culture while enjoying the story. It will take a while for students to get used to narrator Anne Flosnik's British accent. The narration is steady in tempo, and she changes her voice for different characters.
Erin Caskey, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Review

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

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

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

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (April 5, 1972)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064400212
• ISBN-13: 978-0064400213
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,289 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #9 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( S ) > Sendak, Maurice
  • #29 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Birds > Fiction
  • #46 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Classics

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathlessly exciting!, October 25, 2001

By 

T. Avallone (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wheel on the School (Paperback)

Ok I'll admit I was very skeptical. The premise does seem a bit dry. School children band together to find a wheel to put on their school and attract storks....I was not excited by the prospect. Thank goodness I decided to read it aloud to my children anyway! Some parts of this book are so exciting and suspenseful that I literally had sweaty palms during the reading.

And just because it is a rousing good tale doesn't mean that there aren't some wonderful life lessons to be learned by it as well. Perserverance. Friendship. And the reality the EVERYONE has something to offer to common good. This is a timeless story with appeal to all ages. Grown-ups will enjoy reading this aloud as much as their children will enjoy hearing it. I confess....I read to the end because I couldn't wait for the next read-aloud session.

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Each time I read this book, I love it more., September 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wheel on the School (Hardcover)

This is so much more than the story of a group of school children trying to bring storks to their Dutch fishing village on the North Sea. It is a story of people - people everywhere. It is a story of how important people are, irregardless of their age, physical condition, or how they make a living. It encourages us to go beyond what we see on the surface. It shows us that when we help others and care about others, good things will come to us. The children originally wanted to lure storks to their little village because the storks were said to bring good luck. Little did they know that storks would send good fortune ahead in the form of new-found friendships, help for others, and a community that came closer together than it had been before. Miendert DeJong does a masterful job of telling the story and providing strategically planted links as the events take place and unfold. I am an elementary teacher in Cabarrus County, NC. I have read this book to my children each year for many years. When I ask my new class if anyone has heard of the book, no one raises a hand. By the time we finish, the children feel like they have been right there with Lina and the boys. They have also grown to realize that Janus was far from being the mean old man that they met at the beginning. They realize that he just needed to be needed. Each time I read the book, I see more and I learn more. Don't read this story just once. You will be walking over a hidden treasure.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute gem!, February 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wheel on the School (Hardcover)

What a thrill it was to "find" this book. I bought it originally on an endorsement from the Chinaberry catalog. Neither the cover nor the title was particularly catchy. It sat on my teacher shelf for a couple of months...and then one rainy day at indoor recess we began reading. The basic story is of a small group of schoolchildren in Holland and their communal efforts to bring storks back to nest on the rooftops of their village. In the process of achieving this dream the story is an intergenerational tale of love and friendship. Finding help and providence in the places you might least expect them. It touched my young listeners deeply. We built a model of the village in our classroom. We compared people in our own lives to the characters in the story and gained new insights. One last strong endorsement...I had my students rank their top three book choices so far this year. The Wheel On The School came out as #1, and yes, Harry Potter was one of the contestants.