The Wikkeling in Mock Newbery 2026

Jul 07, 2011 Susan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: booktalkers

Dystopian visions fill Juvenile shelves these days, and my favorite, so far, is The Wikkeling.

With a view of the not-so-distant future (in which there is a computer on every school desk generating instant scores, indicating instant loss of funding/jobs if the scores don't measure up; constant gridlock on the highways; books as curiosities; hyper-vigilant parents, and gps devices as standard equipment in vehicles)and the author's tongue firmly in cheek, we are introduced to Henrietta Gad-Fly, a Dystopian visions fill Juvenile shelves these days, and my favorite, so far, is The Wikkeling.

With a view of the not-so-distant future (in which there is a computer on every school desk generating instant scores, indicating instant loss of funding/jobs if the scores don't measure up; constant gridlock on the highways; books as curiosities; hyper-vigilant parents, and gps devices as standard equipment in vehicles)and the author's tongue firmly in cheek, we are introduced to Henrietta Gad-Fly, a student with intelligence and potential who is not applying herself, so is a threat to the overall standing of her classroom. Henrietta, "...will not become beautiful when someone gives her a new hairstyle. ...will not find a miracle cure for her pimples when an angel sees she's a good girl inside...will not find out that she's actually a princess, and she won't become happy forever when a prince marries her." But Henrietta, who suffers from migrain-like headaches heralded by the sensation that someone is standing near-by, does find good friends (also headache sufferers), helps a creature in need (and gets help in return), forges a bond with her step-grandfather, and discovers an interesting remedy for what ails her and her friends, Gary and Rose.

The title character is a creature dressed in yellow that resembles a human and has alarmingly long sticky fingers which, when pressed to the foreheads of susceptible people, creates blinding headaches (aha!). The Wikkeling lurks at the edges of the story as a vague sort of menace until it becomes a full-fledged menace requiring a solution. It is invisible to most, but not (to their horror) Rose, Henrietta, and Gary.

Dystopian it may be (who wants to live in a plastic house or have a cell phone embedded in your skull?)but it has a sweetness, a sense of hope (we can be saved if we connect with each other), and a set of characters that I'd like to get to know better! The end suggests more to come--I hope!

Some details I love: cars have Honk Ads--each car blares out an advertisement when the driver hits the horn; Henrietta discovers another world in the attic of her house--she's allowed to visit it because the camera that watches her sleep doesn't work for a while; The fully illustrated supplement to The Bestiary of Aristotle Alcott (a book owned by Henrietta's step-grandpa, Al) is included. (The Tree Goat and the Mesmer Vole are my favorites....);
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Jan 02, 2012 Dest rated it liked it

Shelves: middle-grade, dystopia

Henrietta Gad-Fly lives in a world where safety is the number one concern. Her school bus has not only seat belts, but head straps. Her clothes have yellow visibility stripes. Her parents can monitor her 24 hours a day via mobile phone and Bed Cam. That is, until Henrietta's Bed Cam mysteriously breaks, and her adventures into the past begin. Can she and her friends figure out why they get terrible headaches? Or what is going on with the wild house cat in Henrietta's attic? Most importantly, can ...more

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Nov 29, 2015 Darla rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy, middlegrade

What a strange book! I would recommend this to fans of books like The Giver, possibly Coraline, or children who want to read books like The Hunger Games but might be too young. Very cryptic, very creepy, but in a safe way. It leaves A LOT unexplained - the book takes place in a blighted, conformist dystopian future of an ostensibly fantastic setting (based on the bestiary), where a young girl, Henrietta, and her friends are being stalked by a mysterious being that seems to give them headaches. G ...more

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Aug 27, 2011 Sarah Abercrombie rated it really liked it

I just got back from a trip to Washington state where this writer is from, and found the safety/signage/intrusiveness, not to mention the speed limit that is slavishly obeyed in that state creepy, so i understand where he's coming from completely. There are some superb moments and elements in this story, and would love to follow the characters in another boook. The story is interesting and complete, and i want more. A couple of minor plot holes but a great first book. ...more

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