Wonderland by Barbara O'Connor

How I Heard About It:  In my opinion, this was one of the most "buzzed" about novels of summer 2018.  Everyone I knew was reading it, raving about it, and recommending the book to other readers.  I got behind on my middle-grade novel reading so I didn't start this newest work of fiction by O'Connor until right before school started.  It was one of my favorite reads of the season.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *Mavis and her mother have not had the best of luck.  They have had to move multiple times because her mother keeps losing her job.  Mavis' mother's newest job has landed them in a new town where Mavis has to start all over again.

2.  *Rose has lived in Landry, Alabama for her entire life.  She resides in an exclusive southern "gated" neighborhood.  Her own mother has a certain standard for the way they conduct themselves and appear to others.  

3.  *Rose considers the security gate keeper , Mr. Duffy, her only true friend because she doesn't seem to fit in with the other "rich" girls in the area.  She and Mr. Duffy spend lots of time together talking, playing games, and enjoying animals.  Mr. Duffy has become sad and distant since the lose of his beloved dog.  

4.  When Mavis and her mother arrive in Landry, she is determined to find a new best friend and make it stick this time.  After meeting Rose, Mavis feels like she has hit the jackpot in the friend department.  

5.  The two girls, along with a few others, go on a quest to make sure Mr. Duffy is happy again; both in his personal and professional life.  


What I Thought Of It:  Barbara O'Connor certainly can write a strong and solid middle-grade story.  Each one of her books just gets better and better.  I absolutely loved the characters of Mavis and Rose.  They were so different from each other and unique to themselves.  I enjoyed how each girl brought something new and special to the other girl's life.  The characters of the two mothers made me smile and laugh on more than one occasion. They were as different from each other as their daughter's were.  Any story that contains a dog as a character, has me from the first page.  Henry was a one of a kind dog.  I enjoyed reading the chapters told from his point of view.  The novel had several important life lessons/themes strewn through out the pages, but the author did a tremendous job of not being preachy or judgmental.  It is always fun when a middle-grade story has a bit of an adventure and Wonderland did not disappoint in this department.  I'm excited to share these beautiful and touching story with my fourth graders later this fall.  


Who Should Read It:   I would recommend the book to all readers in grades three through six.  Of course it could also be read by middle-school readers.  I'm planning on using it as a read aloud selection.  The book should also be put in the hands of as many individual readers as well.  Any adult reader who enjoys middle-grade books MUST read Barbara's O'Connor's newest work of fiction.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  5 STARS out of 5 Stars