{"product_id":"zoe-in-wonderland-isbn-9780425288917","title":"Zoe in Wonderland","description":"\u003cb\u003eCoretta Scott King Honor winner Brenda Woods introduces introverted, daydream-prone Zoe, who’s afraid her real life will never be as exciting as her imaginary one.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Zoe Reindeer considers herself “just Zoe”—never measuring up to her too-perfect older sister or her smarty-pants little brother. Truthfully, though, she’d rather just blend in with the plants at the family business, Doc Reindeer’s Exotic Plant Wonderland. She does have one friend, Q, and he’s the best one ever—but he’s moving away, leaving Zoe to fend for herself, and she doesn’t know what she’ll do without him. That is until a tall astronomer from Madagascar comes to the nursery looking for a Baobab tree. His visit starts a ball rolling that makes Zoe long for real adventures, not just imaginary ones—and shows her that perhaps her first real adventure is finally beginning.\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eZoe in Wonderland\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Spunky and inquisitive narrative voice. . . . Woods balances serious issues with humor. Zoe’s character is consistently relatable and encouraging to those who might not feel very special and who are trying, like Zoe, to understand themselves and the world around them.”—\u003ci\u003eThe Horn Book\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Woods develops a realistic adolescent struggle with self-acceptance. . . . Young readers will easily identify with Zoe’s unbridled curiosity and wishes for the future, and the ending satisfies. . . . This touching tale about finding strength in uniqueness is a well-crafted read from start to finish.”—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Woods handles big challenges . . . with sensitivity and a light touch. Readers will find it easy to sink into Zoe’s warm family life, realistic in its squabbles, worries, and powerfully evident love.”—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Many readers will see themselves in Woods’s authentic portrayal of an African American girl finding her place in her family and in the world around her.”—\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eBrenda Woods\u003c\/b\u003e (brenda-woods.com) was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, grew up in southern California, and attended California State University, Northridge. Her award-winning books for young readers include \u003ci\u003eThe Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond\u003c\/i\u003e (a CCBC choice and a \u003ci\u003eKirkus\u003c\/i\u003e Best Book), Coretta Scott King Honor winner \u003ci\u003eThe Red Rose Box\u003c\/i\u003e, ALAN Pick \u003ci\u003eSaint Louis Armstrong Beach\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eVOYA\u003c\/i\u003e Top Shelf Fiction selection \u003ci\u003eEmako Blue\u003c\/i\u003e. Her numerous awards and honors include the Judy Lopez Memorial Award, FOCAL award, Pen Center USA’s Literary Award finalist, IRA Children’s Choice Young Adult Fiction Award, and ALA Quick Pick. She lives in the Los Angeles area.\u003cp\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 19: Back at the Wonderland\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e4 things that have landed Zoe G. Reindeer in trouble\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 1. Throwing a shoe at Harper which missed him completely but went through the living room window instead, shattering it. That was last year.\u003cbr\u003e 2. Telling my third grade teacher and class that our entire family had taken a three month summer vacation all over Europe and Africa, when actually we’d only spent a week at Pismo Beach. That was a couple of years ago.\u003cbr\u003e 3. Trying to make donuts with Quincy from scratch and winding up with greasy dough plastered on our kitchen walls, cabinets, and ceiling. That was just this past summer.\u003cbr\u003e 4. Becoming a truant. That was today.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs quietly as I could, I crept into the Wonderland. A police car was parked in the driveway. Was that for me being a truant? They can’t put me in jail, can they? If Quincy was here he’d have the answer.  \u003cbr\u003e     But I was on my own and I was getting scared and I didn’t know what to do. And so, I decided to hide.   \u003cbr\u003e      I snuck into the greenhouse, slid under one of the tables, used my backpack for a pillow, and put my head down to rest.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Wake up, Miss!” A bright light was shining in my face. A flashlight. It was night time.\u003cbr\u003e      It took a few seconds but my sleepy eyes zeroed in on the policemen’s brass badge. Terror got inside of me. My heart pounded fast.\u003cbr\u003e      “Are you going to arrest me?” I asked the officer.  \u003cbr\u003e      “Nope, not going to arrest you, miss. Are you ok?”\u003cbr\u003e      I nodded yes and crawled out from where I’d been hiding.\u003cbr\u003e      The policemen helped me up, looked me in the eyes, and made me promise never to run away again. “You could have become a statistic.”\u003cbr\u003e     I didn’t know what a statistic was but from the way he’d said it didn’t sound like something anyone should become, so I promised him.\u003cbr\u003e      “Found her!” the policeman yelled.\u003cbr\u003e     Suddenly, I was surrounded by other people all pointing flashlights in my direction, including some neighbors, my mom and daddy, Nana and grandpa, Harper and Jade, Mr. Summers, even our school principal.  \u003cbr\u003e      “But we checked in there twice!” someone shouted.\u003cbr\u003e     Jade scowled, “You are such a time vampire!”\u003cbr\u003e     “Huh?” \u003cbr\u003e      “You just sucked up a massive amount of everyone’s time, including mine.”  \u003cbr\u003e     Of course, Harper had to put in his two cents. “You’re gonna receive a life sentence . . . grounded until the end of time.”\u003cbr\u003e      “For real!” Jade agreed.\u003cbr\u003e      Remembering the policeman’s warning, I attempted to get their sympathy. “I could have been a statistic,” I said as pathetically as I possibly could.\u003cbr\u003e     Jade must have known what that meant because she patted me gently on the shoulder and I saw a glimmer of niceness in her eyes, something I hadn’t seen in a really long time.  \u003cbr\u003e     Seeing Jade turn nice to me made Harper get that question mark look in his eyes. “What’s that mean . . . been a statistic?” he asked.\u003cbr\u003e     “Kidnapped or . . . dead,” Jade replied. “Don’t ever do that again!” she warned, “Grandpa even had to take his heart pills.”\u003cbr\u003e     For once, Harper wasn’t smirking.  \u003cbr\u003e     Over and over, I said sorry. Sorry to my parents, sorry to Nana and Grandpa, sorry to the school principal, and sorry to Mr. Summer.\u003cbr\u003e      Mr. Summer sighed loudly. “See you tomorrow, Zoe.” \u003cbr\u003e      I frowned. Oh, no. School—Zena—UGLY me. I didn’t ever want to go to school again.\u003cbr\u003e     Mr. Summer must have seen the look on my face because he informed me that because our school has a zero tolerance for bullying and name calling, Zena had received a one day suspension  and that he had spoken to the rest of the class. “Don’t worry, Zoe, there won’t be any trouble.”\u003cbr\u003e      I hoped he was right.  \u003cbr\u003e      And probably thinking I couldn’t hear her, Nana leaned into daddy and told him, “Don’t be too hard on her Darrow . . . she’s a delicate girl.”\u003cbr\u003e     Daddy looked at her for a minute as if she had told him something he didn’t know. He glanced my way then nodded in agreement.\u003cbr\u003e      Delicate—me? \u003cbr\u003e      In my room later that night, Daddy mostly listened while Mom nagged me--on and on and on until, like a car out of gas, she finally came to a stop. \u003cbr\u003e     Right before midnight I climbed into bed. “I promise I’ll never do it again. I just didn’t want anyone to see me cry. I’m really sorry.”\u003cbr\u003e     “You’re grounded for a month, Zoe,” she said.\u003cbr\u003e     A month but not for eternity. My sentence fit the crime.\u003cbr\u003e      Mom hugged me and Daddy kissed the top of my head. “G’night, Zoe . . . love you.”  \u003cbr\u003e     “Ok . . . sorry,” I said one last time.\u003cbr\u003e     Mom left but Daddy Reindeer lingered in my doorway. “G’night, \u003ci\u003emy\u003c\/i\u003e Zoe,” he whispered.\u003cbr\u003e     \u003ci\u003eMy\u003c\/i\u003e Zoe? He’d never called me that before. I liked it. Must be connected to being delicate, I thought.\u003cbr\u003e     “Daddy, what does delicate mean?” \u003cbr\u003e      He stared up at the ceiling, took a deep breath, and replied. “Something that you shouldn’t be too rough with because it might get damaged. Like a flower that needs to be protected from the sun or cold weather . . . so it can grow and bloom.”\u003cbr\u003e     “Oh. Am I like that?” I asked.\u003cbr\u003e     “Yes, \u003ci\u003emy Zoe\u003c\/i\u003e. I love you. G’night.” \u003cbr\u003e     “G’night.”\u003cbr\u003e     And then the light was out, the door was closed, and Daddy Reindeer was gone.\u003cbr\u003e     I wanted to holler come back! Come back so I can ask you another question.  \u003cbr\u003e     Am I ugly?\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nancy Paulsen Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46303204802789,"sku":"NP9780425288917","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780425288917.jpg?v=1767744890","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/zoe-in-wonderland-isbn-9780425288917","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}