Mae and June and the Wonder Wheel

The premise here is that June receives a surprise present - it's a homemade "Wonder Wheel". Every day you spin it, and then pick an "action" card depending on the category it stops at. Maybe you write a poem, maybe you dress up funny, maybe you do a good deed. It's a swell idea, and actually something you could do at home yourself.Anyway, this wheel gets June busy and active. Soon she has her classmates pumped up. Then her new across-the-street neighbor. Even her family. Everyone is up and bubbling and cheerful and engaged.I wasn't sure about this as a book. It is so high energy and June is so over the top that it became a little wearing at first. But then I got into the spirit of the thing, really took to June and Mae, and appreciated how the story drew the very best out of all of the characters. It was just so gosh darn upbeat and peppy. June's dog can talk to her, (or is he just an "imaginary" talking dog), and even that had a certain charm.No one in this book is mean or nasty or sneaky. It's as bright and chirpy and just happy as you could want. But it's not sappy, and it doesn't manipulate you. It's just contagiously cheerful. I'm good with that.The illustrator is Ashley Spires. You might recognize her from her big hit, "The Most Magnificent Thing". Her drawings add spunk and brightness and a bit of clarity to what's going on and help a good deal in guiding a little reader through the book.All in all this seems like a nice choice for a newly independent reader who'd like a sunny diversion. A nice find.(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

This is a cute beginning chapter book targeting readers who are wanting a chapter book, but still need a book shorter in length that has a few pictures. June loves playing with her dog, Sammy. She used to play with her older sister, Isabella, but now that Isabella is a teenager, she doesn't want to play with her sister and dog. Luckily there's a new family that has moved in next door - with a girl, Mae, that is June's age. June is ready for a friend that has the the 3 Fs: Fun! Friendly! And Full of Adventure!Charise Mericle Harper already has many children's books to her credit. I love her Just Grace series, and am hoping that there are many installments featuring Mae and June.As a school librarian I am always looking for more books like this to hand my students who just aren't ready for a long chapter book. This is a fun read that I will happily pass off to many of my students.

I'm always trying to find good, high interest books for my daughter, who is a struggling reader. My daughter is in mid-second grade and reads at a late first grade/early second grade level, and trails far behind most of her peers at her school. My daughter has been interested in chapter books, but we often can't find any easy enough for her where she can read it without being frustrated.Mae and June and the Wonder Wheel says it is for grades 1-3, and I think that is very accurate for most children. My daughter reads at an "I" level, and this book was too difficult for her. However, the interest level was certainly there, and the concepts and tone will definitely appeal to the early elementary school set.The graphics in the book were good, but the content was a little frenetic for me. June seemed a bit underdeveloped and the plot jumped around a bit, but I thought it was a promising start to a new series. I wasn't sure about the hook of the talking dog that only the MC can hear, but I'm hoping that is explored more throughout the series. I also liked the fact that the author made June's new best friend a POC, giving the book some diversity, which my daughter liked too because it accurately reflects her own friend-group.I think this book will appeal to many early chapter book readers who are eager for some new stories with fun graphics.*ARC provided by the publisher*

Synopsis:In this chapter book for young readers, June is thrilled to get a new neighbor: Mae! Soon the two of them are best friends and are having adventures determined by the Wonder Wheel that they spin each morning. Whether it’s pretending to be a dog for a day or collecting things that are blue, the girls never know what each day will bring. Also, June has a secret: her dog Sammy can talk, but only she can hear him. Will her new best friend believe her if she tells her? (Goodreads)Review:This is a cute chapter book for young readers. It stressed family, friendship and pets (that may be magical). I thought that it was well written and the illustrations that were included were bright and well drawn and added a lot to the story.I enjoyed the fact that Sam, June’s dog, can talk. At least in June’s mind he can. I thought this added a little extra to the story.I thought this book was upbeat and positive and would make a great addition to a family library or a school library. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a young reader in their life.I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley and HMH Books For Young Readers for the opportunity to read and review this book.