Newbery Medal Winner
The Wheel on the School
by Meindert De Jong
Summary
Meindert De Jong sets his story in the small Dutch fishing village of Shora, where a schoolgirl named Lina wonders why storks no longer nest on the local rooftops. Her question inspires the whole community to search for an old wagon wheel to place on the school roof so the birds might return. The novel celebrates curiosity, perseverance, and how a single idea can bring a village together.
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Historical Context & Significance
The book was illustrated by Maurice Sendak, years before he created Where the Wild Things Are, and De Jong drew on his own childhood in the Netherlands.