Read, Write, Repeat.

Patricia Polacco’s The Junkyard Wonders (Philomel, 2010) shares a true incident from the author’s youth. And, it’s as compelling as any story she could have made up.

Polacco has previously written about her struggle learning to read. Here, she recounts her experiences in a classroom full of students with perceived physical, intellectual or emotional issues that made them not fit in anywhere else.

In fact, the class is so looked down upon by the rest of the school that it’s openly referred to as “The Junkyard.”

Fortunately, the teacher, Mrs. Peterson, doesn’t believe in labels. Instead, she sees every child as a genius waiting to be discovered. And she encourages her students to look for the potential in themselves and the world around them.

Still, it’s a tough year. One child with health issues dies. Others are bullied. And a close-minded principal almost cancels a rare opportunity for the students to shine. But the class perseveres, earning a well-deserved moment of triumph.

It’s a moving, well-told tale. But the author’s note at the end may be the most inspiring.

As she wrote the book, Patricia discovered what happened to many of her junkyard classmates. One becomes the artistic director of a major ballet company. Another works for the fashion industry in Paris. And one becomes an aeronautical engineer for NASA and designs lunar modules for the Apollo missions.

All credit their eventual success to that classroom and the teacher who saw greatness in them.

Now, let’s check in with today’s guest reviewer, who’s pretty great herself …

Our reviewer: Sonia

Age: 8

Things I like: Reading this book, eating mints, watching TV and playing with my D.S. Feeding my cat.

This book was about: A girl named Patricia Polacco and her friends. They made a plane that Gibbie is in charge of. He has a disease called Tourette’s and he says the plane will fly all the way to the moon. There’s another boy in Patricia’s tribe named Thom, and he can’t see well. He’s the first friend Patricia makes. And, there was a tall boy named Jody with a growing disease. And a girl named Ravanne who doesn’t speak much. And their classroom is called The Junkyard and their teacher’s name is Mrs. Peterson. She inspires them to be the best they can be and see the possibilities in things.

The best part was when: At the end of the book where there’s the photo of all the kids and it tells what they went on to do in life. I also liked it when the plane went all the way to the moon with the streamers behind it.

I laughed when: Gibbie says the plane needs a propulsion unit, but he means a motor.

I was worried when: A mean boy took Patricia’s pin off. When Jody looked pale and died. And when the principal took their plane away.

I was surprised when: A picture of the kids really went to the moon. And that the author saw Gibbie again in Houston when they were all grown up.

This book taught me: Be the best you can be. Try your hardest.

Three words that best describe this book are: “Junkyard.” “Wonder.” “Plane.”

My favorite line or phrase in this book is: “Like I said,” Gibbie whispered. “That baby is going straight to the moon.”

Other kids reading this book should watch for: The plane flying up into the sky. The poodles on some of the girls’ skirts. The picture of all the kids at the end. Their teacher, the boy named Jody and the stars.

 You should read this book because: It’s real. And, it’s a good story. The drawings are good.

Thanks, Sonia.

To learn more about this book, check out this review from the blog Books For Kids.

To learn more about Patricia Polacco, visit her website and watch this series of video interviews.