Zoe in Wonderland (15 page)

Zoe G. Reindeer's First Adventure

T
he next morning, Jade had to practically be dragged to the airport. “It's all your fault, plant girl! You and your seeds!” she hollered at me for what seemed like the hundredth time.

“That's enough, Jade!” Daddy told her. “It's not Zoe's fault.”

It kind of is, I thought. I remembered the things that were definitely my fault and the things that weren't and how, when you combine some of those things, they're what brought the Reindeer family to Hawaii. Like if I had never bought the seeds, we probably wouldn't be moving to Hawaii. But everyone except Jade seemed really happy about it, including Harper.

“It's an adventure,” I said, hoping Jade might start to see it the way I did.

But Jade was too full of anger, and she growled at me like she was part animal.

I supposed anger keeps you from seeing through another person's eyes, like when I was so mad at Harper. But finally there'd been an end to the Harper-Zoe battle, and I wondered if sometime soon there'd be an end to the Jade-Zoe war and we'd have some peace too. I hoped so.

On the ride and while we waited inside the airport terminal, she completely stopped talking. But I couldn't feel too sorry for her, because I knew that as soon as we landed, she'd start collecting friends again like they were refrigerator magnets.

We boarded, and the minute I sat down, I buckled my seat belt. I'd really been looking forward to doing that. I, Zoe G. Reindeer, was on my first plane ride. The captain welcomed us over the speaker. It was just the way I'd always imagined it would be. Only this was real and real was a million times better.

The plane took off and I stared back at California, wondering if I'd migrate back there someday—maybe, maybe not.

The ocean was blue beneath us, but soon we were above the clouds and I couldn't see it anymore. Yet the
star of day was up there, shining bright as could be. I had promised myself to stay awake for the entire ride. I really didn't want to miss a thing, but I'd hardly slept last night because I was extremely excited, so after I ate a sandwich, sleep finally got me.

“Wake up, Zoe.” Nana, who was sitting beside me, poked me gently awake.

“Huh?” I said sleepily.

“We're almost there, getting ready to land. You don't want to miss this. Hawaii is about to get something slightly unusual.”

“What?” I asked.

Nana grinned. “Reindeer . . . a whole family of them.”

“You're silly, Nana,” I said, nudging her playfully with my shoulder.

I stared out the window at a very green island, a greener place than I'd ever seen. I smiled at Nana. Before I knew it, the plane had landed and come to a stop. I wanted to be the first one off, nevertheless I had to wait like almost everyone else. But waiting didn't bother me. It was my first adventure and I wanted to remember every minute of it.

A New Wonderland

O
n the drive to our new Wonderland, there were beaches with clear blue water and green forests lining both sides of the highway. It was as beautiful as anything
Imaginary Zoe
ever experienced.

Finally we reached our farm. I recognized the black wrought-iron gate with the lotus flower design from the pictures I'd seen. I glanced back at Jade and was happy to see that even she was smiling.

As soon as we were out of the car, everyone except for me headed inside to check out the house. But there was something else I needed to do first. Weeks ago, I'd sent away for more baobab seeds. I patted the seed packet I'd put in my jeans pocket and took off to explore.

According to Daddy, Hawaii, being a tropical island, might be a good place for the baobabs to grow. And from what I'd read online, I'd learned he was right, because Hawaii already had a few. I knew I needed to start them in small pots before I transferred them outside, and now that I'd actually read the directions, this time it wasn't going to take forever for them to sprout. But what I was looking for was the perfect spot to grow them, and before long, I found it. The grass was high and green and the red earth was moist. It reminded me of the land in the picture of the baobabs in Madagascar. Only one thing was different: the sky was so much bluer. This was the place, I decided, where I would grow them. The baobabs would certainly like it here. I patted the seeds again. Today, I'd soak them in water, and tomorrow, I'd find some pots and plant them. I couldn't wait to tell Quincy. He and Kendra were planning to visit this coming summer, and I hoped the baobabs would be big enough by that time for him to help me transplant them to their special place.

Walking back toward the house, I thought about being like a seed and how some, like the baobab seeds, took longer than usual to germinate and sprout. It felt like I'd finally sprouted too.

Now not just my feet and bones were growing—in
other ways that seemed to be invisible, I was changing day by day. I wasn't so shy anymore, and because of Adam and Mrs. Warner, I knew I wasn't ugly and that I was even nice. I was actually looking forward to making friends. And I was happy that Harper and I were getting close again and, because of Ben Rakotomalala, I was getting more interested in all kinds of science stuff—not just plants but outer space too.

And like a baobab, I am slightly unusual. I'm a Reindeer in Hawaii. My name finally made sense— a slightly unusual name for a slightly unusual girl. “Zoe G. Reindeer,” I said out loud, then put my lips together to try and whistle. For the first time, a sound came out. I couldn't believe it. I pursed my lips and blew again. As sweetly as birdsong, a whistle flew out of me. I was more than surprised. I was astonished.

Later that night, I stood outside alone on the outdoor patio that wraps around the house, called the lanai. I gazed out toward the ocean where the light from the Moon glistened and thought about the promise I'd made to Ben to make good use of my imagination. I didn't know exactly how, but deep inside I knew that I would keep that promise.

But for right now, real seemed like it was more
than a million times better than anything my imagination could come up with.

Right now, real was amazing.

Inside, I heard the whole Reindeer family laughing loudly about something, even Jade.

Zoe G. Reindeer headed in to join them, whistling a
tune.

Acknowledgments

S
ome of the inspiration for this book came from George Washington Carver, a premier American botanist, and a JPL plasma physicist, Dr. Claudia Alexander—both gone on to a peaceful pasture but never to be forgotten.

A thousand and one thanks to Nancy Paulsen for her expertly deft editorial hand. Additional thanks to Sara LaFleur, Frank Morrison for his wonderful jacket, the copy editor, and all of the people at Penguin Random House who worked behind the scenes to bring Zoe G. Reindeer from where she began as a spark in my mind into the hands of readers.

As always, I give thanks to the Spirit. As a species, our capacity for compassion remains great.

Also by Brenda Woods

The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond

CCBC Choice

Kirkus
Best Book

“Violet's a bright, engaging biracial preteen. . . . Infused with humor, hope and cleareyed compassion—a fresh take on an old paradigm.” —
Kirkus Reviews
, starred review

“Endearing. . . . Admirably touches upon profound issues related to identity and race and tenderly conveys intergenerational bonds.” —
School Library Journal
, starred review

“Deftly raises complex issues of race and identity and leaves them open for discussion: whether race matters, what makes a family, how it feels to be different, and what it means to be biracial.” —
Publishers Weekly

“Violet is a winning protagonist, full of questions and full of hope. She's believably complex . . . a sometimes shy, sometimes sparkly and strong person to whom many readers will relate.” —
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Saint Louis Armstrong Beach

Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Reading List

ALAN (Assembly on Literature for Adolescents) Pick

“Gripping. . . . Woods's marvelous characterizations of Saint and Miz Moran more than stand up to the vivid backdrop of the flooded, chaotic city. . . . A small gem that sparkles with hope, resilience and the Crescent City's unique, jazz-infused spirit.” —
Kirkus Reviews
, starred review

“With his engaging voice, readers will quickly take a shine to Saint. . . . Woods skillfully provides a sense of the growing tension. . . . While the tragedy of the event is not glossed over, the overall theme is one of hope.” —
School Library Journal
, starred review

“The characters are well-developed, and readers truly will care about their fates.” —
Library Media Connection
, starred review

“Moving. . . . Vividly portrays the force of the storm, and the authentic New Orleans setting works as a powerful character, adding an extra dimension to this compelling Katrina story.” —
The Horn Book

My Name Is Sally Little Song

Book Sense Pick

Book Links Best Books for the Classroom

“True to the child's voice, the terse, first-person narrative . . . brings close the backbreaking labor and cruelty of plantation life, then the flight to freedom, the sadness, and the hope. The action is fast, the journey fraught with danger; the details bring it home. . . . The searing historical fiction shows that there can be no sunny ending.” —
Booklist
, starred review

“A believable, horrifying portrayal of life as a captive. . . . Involving and bittersweet.” —
Publishers Weekly

“Provides readers with an alternative view of the realities of slavery. . . . Deftly teases out both the light and the dark
moments of the experience. . . . This accessible tale will prove a rich resource for study and discussion.” —
School Library Journal

The Red Rose Box

Coretta Scott King Honor

PEN Center USA Literary Award Finalist

FOCAL Award

Judy Lopez Memorial Award

IRA Notable Books for a Global Society List

“Beautifully and accurately evokes a particularly painful and hopeful time through an insider's eyes, and yet it is also a timeless, universal tale of a young girl's road to maturity. An impressive debut.” —
Kirkus Reviews

“Well-realized, believable characters. Ruth is the embodiment of a sassy eight-year-old and the adults are genuine, loving, and supportive. . . . Ends on a hopeful note and will appeal to readers.” —
School Library Journal

“Moving. . . . [Woods] creates some memorable characters . . . and probes historical events in a personal context that may open many readers' eyes.” —
Publishers Weekly

“Language made musical with southern phrases . . . shapes the era and characters with both well-chosen particulars and universal emotions. . . . Young readers will connect with Leah and feel her difficult pull between freedom, comfort, and her deeply felt roots.” —
Booklist