At last, we’ve finished The Wheel on the School
The chapters are longer than we’ve typically tackled in a read-aloud: 20-25 pages or so. This means bedtimes have slid a bit later, and we’ve had just this one option (rather than this plus a picture book or two) each night for the whole of its fifteen chapters. It was well worth it.
I read this as a child, but I didn’t remember much beyond the basic storyline: it was about storks. Recently it was recommended in both For the Children’s Sake, and the activity guide that goes along with The Story of the World
As promised, it’s quite suspenseful. Lina, a little girl in the 6-student Shora school, reads an essay one day about a subject of interest to her: storks, and why storks no longer nest in Shora. It triggers an imaginative speculation that eventually draws the whole village into a plan to attract storks back to their rooftops.
This is a book that deals in big subjects: having a dream, and the courage to believe in it; cooperative enterprise; bridging age gaps; faith; nature; education; the sea. It gave us a glimpse of Dutch culture; every time we opened the book, I almost felt the salt spray and the chill of Shora. The character development is more leisurely and detailed than other single books we’ve tried as read-alouds, and the cast of characters encompasses all ages.
I loved hearing my daughters burst out laughing at the antics of Janus, the fisherman who’s lost both legs and begins to emerge from his shell of bitter isolation to become the children’s champion. I loved the way comparisons to people in this story have emerged in conversation more than once as we’ve been reading it. I loved the way the girls begged for another chapter each night, even after a fairly long session just to get through one chapter. I loved the story itself, which brought me (I admit it) to tears at times as I read. (”Here, I’ll take a turn, Mommy,” said my 8-year-old finally, reaching for the book.) And I loved the way that when we finished it, my 5-year-old said reflectively, “I was thinking last night: just one little story — one little story by that one little girl — turned into a whole plan.”
Visit Read-Aloud Thursday at Hope Is the Word for a glimpse of what other folks are reading this week!
Oh, I love this, Janet! I’ve never read this book, although I’ve always known of it. I love how your older dd volunteers to finish up for you (I need this!—I always get choked up!) and how your younger dd summed it up so well. Thanks so much for playing this week!
Oh, that should be VOLUNTEERED.
No, you’re right — volunteers. It’s happened more than once!
I enjoyed reading your reflections from Wheel on the School. I have fond memories of reading that book to our boys when we were homeschooling them years ago. For some reason what sticks in my mind is reading the book to them each day while I was home for lunch and how long the chapters were! But it is, as you said so well, an inspiring story.
Excellent review, Janet! (Do you ever get tired of the praise?
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I have a soft spot for this book. I need to put it on the TBR aloud list for my elementary kids (We need to finish 21 Balloons first, and then I want to read The Phantom Tollbooth to them, and THEN The Wheel on the School. And somewhere in there, I want to add The Door in the Wall).
*I* got choked up while reading about your oldest daughter’s compassion when *you* got choked up. And your youngest daughter’s insight was impressive.
Every reader should frequent your blog!
I’m just waiting for the day here. I get choked up at just about everything.
Wow, thanks Lisa. Lately I’ve been wondering if my blog is anything more than a quick resource for students writing term papers. (The stats page can tell when someone assigns a paper on a particular book!)
Thanks for the book titles, too. The kids are at such a fun age for read-alouds!
Pastor King, those chapters felt long to me too! I struggle with getting sleepy sometimes, reading aloud. But it was definitely worth it with this book.
Amy, it’s music to my ears when she reads, but then I get choked up about that too. She’s growing up too fast!!
Yes, we must be sisters.
Not having anyone to read DeJong’s books to is one of the saddest things in this empty nest. But one time when I visited my grandchildren I read to them every day and finished *Along Came a Dog,* to their delight. *House of Sixty Fathers* I could barely finish for sobbing. Our son named his rabbit after *Shadrach.* This author is wonderful. Thanks so much for sharing.