Mae and June and the Wonder Wheel

January 9, 2017
June’s best friend is her dog, Sammy, their relationship made all the stronger by the fact that they can communicate with each other. But June remains on the hunt for a human friend, and Harper’s (the Just Grace series) sweet-natured story focuses on the trickiness of classroom social circles and June’s efforts to befriend her new neighbor, Mae. Slow to get going, the story picks up when June receives the eponymous Wonder Wheel as a gift from her grandmother, a carnival-game-style spinning wheel with categories that encourage June to choose a spirit animal (an inclusion that may raise some eyebrows), embark on a scavenger hunt, and lend a helping hand, among other activities. Spires’s b&w artwork, included throughout, nicely amplifies June’s emotional ups and downs. Ages 6–9. Author’s agent: Amy Rennert, Amy Rennert Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Claire Easton, Painted Words.

November 1, 2016
Making a new friend is always a good thing--and one who appreciates your canine buddy and joins in your imaginative games with gusto is even better! June and her dog, Sammy, are inseparable, and when the duo discovers a little girl has moved in across the street, they hope she will meet their three criteria: a new friend must be "FUN! FRIENDLY! FULL OF ADVENTURE!" While Mae does indeed fill the bill, she's immediately claimed by April, a bossy classmate who excludes June. Fortunately a spinning wheel sent by her grandmother with instructions for play in six sealed envelopes--one to open each Monday--nudges June to engage with others in new and positive ways. Cartoonlike illustrations depict students of varying skin tones who seem to be white, like June, as well as Latino and/or Asian, although Mae is the only African-American child. Disappointingly one of the classmates' bonding experiences is crazy hair day, an event that is often not inclusive of African-American students. Sure enough, one character's "crazy" hairstyle is multiple little braids, a popular normal hairstyle for black girls. Readers may also be baffled by the wheel's complex instructions and disappointed that the story ends before they can discover what surprises are in store in the next five weeks' envelopes. Despite moments of charm, the story and characterization are not compelling enough to save this offering. (Fiction. 5-8)

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September 1, 2016

Gr 2-4-June has a dog, Sammy, whom only she can hear talk. Her older teenage sister, Isabella, is too old to play with them anymore, so June and Sammy go looking for a new friend to join their crew and share their motto of "Fun! Friendly! Full of Adventure!" Finding a friend is not easy, but it just so happens that a new neighbor, Mae, has moved in across the street. With the help of the Wonder Wheel, a game sent to June by her grandma Penny, June sets out to discover if Mae is the friend they've been searching for. In 28 short chapters, with cartoonlike illustrations, the narrative moves quickly and ends happily. VERDICT A pleasant addition about making new friends; hand to independent readers who enjoy animal and friendship stories.-Vivian Ho, Port Washington Public Library, NY

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