The Wheel on the School, by Meindert DeJong, takes place in the small coastal village of Shora in the Netherlands. Its location on the North Sea surrounded by dikes provides an important backdrop for the adventures shared by its inhabitants. The book opens with a view into the tiny school house populated by one Teacher and six students.
Lina, the only girl in the school, asks permission to read an essay about storks. Across the Netherlands, the large birds build their nests on the rooftops and bring good fortune to the inhabitants dwelling within. Wagon wheels placed on the peak of a roof provide the necessary foundation for the storks to build their nests.
But Lina ends her essay lamenting that there were no storks in the village of Shora. The Teacher prompts the students to think about why the Storks do not nest in Shora. He proposed that when we wonder why, things begin to happen. And thus begins a riveting tale that brings the entire village together. The children, the housewives, the fishermen fathers, and the elderly embark on a joint venture to find a wagon wheel for the school. Young and old alike, are working toward the common goal of bringing storks to the roofs of Shora.
In the Wheel on the School, Meindert DeJong shows the camaraderie that is required to solve a problem. The villagers, barely acquainted and often misunderstood, form an unlikely group of individuals pulling for the same dream. They must each face their own shortcomings and fears in order to do their part. Will their collective efforts lead them to hope that what was once thought impossible just might be possible?