The Wheel on the School
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, OHCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to theAudio Cassetteedition.