Wondrous Rex
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
Newbery Medal-winning author Patricia MacLachlan has written a magical and funny tale about the joy found in using words, sharing stories, and loving a wondrous dog: Rex.
Grace’s aunt is a writer. She works with words every day and teaches Grace interesting words like “melancholy” and “delirious.”
But Lily is often “flummoxed” by her writing. Her stories don’t go anywhere, her desk is a mess, and her writer’s group can’t help.
So Lily posts an ad for an assistant: A writer of books needs an assistant, a coach, a helper, for inspiration and some magic!
The next day, Grace opens the door, and there is Rex: a Labrador retriever who will change Grace’s life, and Lily’s. The word “amazing” is an everyday word for Rex, who inspires Lily, and helps Grace find the words to write her own story.
One writer in a slump. One girl who thinks she can’t write. One wondrous dog who changes everything.
A Magical Dog: Meet Rex, the Labrador retriever assistant who can arrange papers, find the perfect quote, and inspire a story—all without saying a word.Books About Writing: A gentle and funny story for kids that explores the creative process, from being "flummoxed" to finding the magic in storytelling.An Aunt and Niece Story: Join Grace as she learns about wonderful words from her writer aunt, Lily, and discovers the courage to share her own voice.The Joy of Words: Follow along as Grace discovers words like "melancholy" and "wondrous," and learns how to weave them into a tale of her own.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A charmed (and charming) dog, a language-loving girl, and an innate aunt-niece bond are among the alluring threads that MacLachlan (Dream Within a Dream) deftly weaves into this taut novel. Seven-year-old Grace's aunt Lily, a writer frustrated by her dearth of story ideas, posts an ad for an assistant "for inspiration and some magic!" A magician soon appears at her door with unlikely assistant Rex, a Lab who is bored, "needs new work," and "will make you happy." That proves true when the dog suddenly types words from Toni Morrison on Lily's computer keyboard: "If you find a book you really want to read but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." This is the first of Rex's sly nudges that provide both Lily and Grace a collector of words who hasn't yet discovered how to string them together with the confidence and inspiration to find their creative voices. MacLachlan again proves her gift for shaping endearing and credible characters even a magical canine in this bright yet reflective story. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8 12.
