Wonderland

June 25, 2018
Featuring sympathetic characters and a gratifying resolution, this novel by O’Connor (Wish) celebrates friendship human and canine alike. Fourth-grade graduate Mavis is tired of moving from one town to the next, following her mother’s every whim, but they’re on the road again, headed from Hadley, Ga., to Landry, Ala., where her mother will be housekeeper for the “rich” Tully family. Mavis’s one hope is that they will stay in Landry long enough for her to find a real best friend, and her wish comes true quicker than she expects when she meets Mrs. Tully’s daughter, Rose. Although the girls are complete opposites (Mavis is impulsive and daring; Rose is fearful and keen to follow rules), they have a common goal: finding a new hound for kind Mr. Duffy, who has been sad since his dog, Queenie, passed away. Meanwhile, Henry, a runaway greyhound hiding in the woods, is looking for a new owner. Told in alternating perspectives by Mavis, Rose, and Henry, the book highlights the girls’ differences and the positive impact the friends make on each other’s lives. Ages 8–12. Agent: Barbara Markowitz, Barbara Markowitz Literary Agency.

Narrator Nina Alvamar delivers an energetic tone for soon-to-be- fifth-grader Mavis, who finds herself moving once again when her mother finds a new job as a housekeeper in Landry, Alabama. Mavis decides that this time she will make a best friend, and Rose, the daughter of her mother's employer, seems like a perfect fit. They spend the summer together, going on adventures and trying to find a home for Henry, a runaway dog. Alvamar easily transitions from spirited Mavis to even-tempered Rose, and finally to Henry. The characters are voiced without regional accents, which does seem like a missed opportunity. Still, listeners will be captivated by the escapades of Mavis, Rose, and Henry as their friendship thrives. M.D. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine