Wonderland

Description

Mavis Jeeter is fearless and bold, but she has never lived in one place long enough to have a real best friend. Her flighty mother has uprooted them again to another new home and taken a job as a housekeeper for the Tully family. Mavis wants this home to be permanent-which means finding herself a best friend. Rose Tully is a worrier who feels like she doesn't quite fit in with the other girls in her neighborhood. Her closest friend is Mr. Duffy, but he hasn't been himself since his dog died. Rose may have to break a few of her mother's many rules to help Mr. Duffy-and find someone who really understands her. And then there's Henry, a dog that has run away from home. But he craves kindness and comfort-and doesn't know where to look for them. When Mavis and Rose hatch a scheme to find Mr. Duffy a new dog, their lives and Henry's intersect as they find friendship in places they never expected.

Barbara O'Connor was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina. She has written many award-winning books for children, including Wish, How to Steal a Dog, and The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester. barbaraoconnor.com

"Featuring sympathetic characters and a gratifying resolution, this novel by O'Connor celebrates friendship human and canine alike." --Publishers Weekly "A richly satisfying exploration of the logic and determination with which children work to make things right." --Kirkus Reviews "Mavis, Rose, and Henry all find that true, lasting friendship develops with time, trust, and a number of setbacks to overcome along the way. . .The honest but awkward new friendship between Rose and Mavis is heartwarming, but Henry's story is the one that will break sensitive readers' hearts and keep them turning the pages to get to the happy ending." --School Library Journal "What distinguishes this novel is its depth of characterization, how O'Connor shows readers who the characters are rather than telling them. . .This heartwarming novel also demonstrates that while dogs may be revered as man's best friend, there's no substitute for the human kind." --The Horn Book