Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
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First Edition: February 2019
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Library of Congress Control Number 2018945945
ISBNs: 978-0-316-44476-7 (pbk.), 978-0-316-44478-1 (ebook)
E3-20181121-JV-NF-ORI
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Photos
June sat on the floor of her bedroom. She unrolled the giant piece of paper and began sketching the carousel. Her mom looked on, waiting to see what she’d draw next. At first June had thought she’d give the carousel a dozen horses with colorful saddles and reins, but now she wasn’t so sure.
“Hmmm…” she whispered, her marker in her hand. “That sounds kinda ‘been there, done that.’ I think we can do better.”
“You’re right.” Her mom smiled down at June. “I think Peanut deserves better.”
They both turned to the row of dolls perched on June’s dresser. There was Greta, the boar who was the leader of the group. She could run faster than any of the others. Then there was Steve, the porcupine who was in love with Greta. (June had made him out of an old pincushion.) June loved the two beavers, Gus and Cooper, who built everything in her imaginary amusement park, Wonderland. Boomer was the giant grizzly bear who welcomed visitors, but no one was as important as Peanut. Peanut the chimpanzee was the creator of Wonderland, the true genius, and June consulted him on everything she made.
“You come up with it, Mom!” June said, stumped.
“How could I not defer to the young visionary who came up with the Skyflinger?” Her mom smiled. The Skyflinger was one of the craziest rides in Wonderland. It rocketed passengers across the park using its super-fast robot arm.
“Don’t make fun of me,” June said, laughing. “I was only five when I made that!”
“I wasn’t making fun of you, silly. I just… like it when the ideas come from you. Now, think.… What kind of animal should Peanut put on your carousel?”
June glanced around her bedroom, her eyes lingering on her pet fish, Fred.
“Fish!” she called out.
“Just, like, any fish?”
“Flying fish!” June said. “And when you push the fin, the fish will come to life, and you can fly them all over the park!”
“Now we’re talking, June!” Her mom picked the plush Peanut doll off the dresser. He was still one of June’s favorite toys. June passed her mom the marker so she could put it in Peanut’s hand.
“All you have to do is give Peanut his marker and whisper your wish into his ear…” her mom said, bringing her lips close to Peanut’s ear. “Now, Peanut, here’s what we want you to do: Take your marker and make us a carousel, but instead of horses, make flying fish.…”
June could almost picture it, how Peanut would stand in front of the huge crowds in Wonderland, using his marker like a magic wand. It would spark with colorful electricity, and everyone would ooohhh and aaaaah as the most incredible carousel they’d ever seen appeared out of thin air.
“And when the fish fly through the concession stand, people will throw popcorn out in the air to feed them!” June cried, laughing again.
“So long as Boomer doesn’t eat all the popcorn first.” Her mom crumpled up the origami horse she was making and made an origami fish instead.
June nodded. Boomer was known for eating a lot… like really, really a lot.
Just then the door opened and June’s dad peeked in. “Okay, June, time for bed.” Then he looked at June’s mom. “And you’ve got a DVR that’s gonna run out of storage unless we start getting serious.”
“Okay, Junebug… that’s it for tonight.” Her mom stood and helped June into bed. She tucked all the blankets in around her, just the way June liked, and kissed the top of her head. Then she set the origami fish right beside the bed.
“Uhhh… Mom?” June asked. “Do you ever feel like Wonderland is real? Or… maybe it could be?”
It was a fair question. June and her mom had spent hours thinking of all the tiny details of this imaginary place. Like the type of tea Steve drank every morning, or how Gus and Cooper liked to play pranks on the other mascots. They’d designed the Skyflinger and Happy Happy Land and decided that Peanut should have warm green eyes, not brown or blue or gold. Wouldn’t it be cool if it really did exist somewhere?
June’s mom thought about it for a beat. “Of course it could be.…”
“Really?” June asked. “How do you know?”
“Because I know the girl who imagined it, and she can do anything.”
“Good night, Junebug,” her dad said, switching off the light.
But as soon as the door shut behind her parents, June went to work. She pulled her tablet from her nightstand and brought up more drawings of Wonderland. She’d been working on a design for a roller coaster, and she was starting to think it was time to make things a little more… well, real.
“Big day tomorrow!” she said, glancing at the row of mascots on her dresser. She hoped they were ready.
As soon as June got up in the morning, she called her friend Banky from down the street. Banky was an Indian boy with huge brown eyes and a wild enthusiasm for just about everything. It seemed that whatever plan June dreamed up, Banky was always there to conspire with her.
June scanned the yard, which was filled with kids from the neighborhood. One team hammered together the roller coaster track, while another group dragged different supplies from June’s parents’ toolshed: hoses, nails, an old lawn mower, and scrap wood. They’d managed to put together June’s roller coaster before her parents had even finished breakfast.
June put the final touches on the roller coaster car, which was just big enough for two people. She checked the screws on the tires and spray-painted a picture of Peanut on the side. She liked to put Peanut’s picture on everything in Wonderland—cups, napkins, hats, bathroom stalls.
When June was sure the car was just right, she and Banky brought it up to the roof. “They said it couldn’t be done,” she called out to the crowd of kids gathered below. “But behold—the Grand Wonder!”
> She stepped back, letting all the kids see the car perched at the top of the track. A few girls cheered. A boy cupped his hand over his mouth in disbelief. June and Banky climbed inside. She was in the front and he was right behind her.
“Who said it couldn’t be done?” Banky whispered.
“They.”
“Who’s they?” Banky asked.
“It’s just an expression. Don’t bust me on a technicality.” Then June turned back to the crowd, her voice booming. “Five hundred and sixty-two feet of track. An intergalactic spaceport complete with wormhole. And the pièce de résistance—that’s French for ‘super awesome’—a genuine loop-de-loop!”
“Uh…” Banky said uneasily as he stared over the roof ledge. “How high did you say the vertical drop is?”
“Forty-eight point eight feet!” June said. “That’s fourteen point eight seven meters for the uninitiated.”
She didn’t feel scared at all. In fact, she was more excited than she’d ever been. One of her creations had finally come to life! She pulled down her goggles, getting ready for the big moment. “Commencing test run. All systems are a go. Five… four… three… two… one…”
“Can we talk about this?” whispered Banky.
But it was too late. Rodney, the boy in charge of launching them, pulled the fishing line, releasing the block underneath the coaster’s front wheels. In an instant, the car was careening down the wooden track.
“Aaaaaaaahhh!” Banky screamed.
They flew through the air, finally catching on the bottom track. They whipped through the neighbor’s yard, and Peaches, the neighbor’s dog, started chasing them.
“Launching countermeasures!” June cried as she flung a piece of raw steak at him. The dog caught it in his mouth and started gnawing on it.
The car coasted along. Up ahead was the treadmill they’d set up to help with the coaster’s speed. June liked to think of it as a turbo launcher, and as soon as they crossed over it, they were going three times faster. They sped into another neighbor’s backyard and rounded a curb. They went through a few traffic cones, crossed the street, and spotted Moon Land up ahead. It was their friend’s garage, and they’d decorated it to look as if they’d be coasting through space. Planets hung from the ceiling; twinkly stars sparkled against black curtains. There was only one problem: The garage door was closed.
“Open the spaceport!” June said.
Banky kept pressing the button on his remote, but it wasn’t working.
“I’m trying! I’m trying!” he cried, and it finally began to open on the fourth try.
They were going full speed toward the garage door as it slowly lifted up. There was no way it would open enough for them to get through. They were out of time!
“Ahhh! Duck!” June yelled.
They both sank down in their seats as far as they could. They slipped through the three-foot opening and then flew out the other side. June screamed in excitement. “Woo-hoo! Warp speed through a black hole! Now time for the grand finale… firing thrusters!”
June tugged on a string by the dashboard, and two fire extinguishers appeared on either side of the car. They exploded in a cloud of white smoke, blasting the roller coaster toward the loop-de-loop. But instead of going up and over the wooden track, the car broke right through it and careened toward an intersection.
“Brake! Brake!” June yelled, her heart beating fast. They didn’t have much room for mistakes. They were heading toward the busy street!
Banky grabbed the brake lever and pulled as hard as he could, but it snapped right off. “It broke!” he screamed in panic. “AAAAHHH!”
The coaster raced forward. A huge truck swerved to avoid them. Drivers yelled and honked their horns, but June and Banky couldn’t stop. They both squeezed their eyes shut, terrified of what would come next.
June took a deep breath and then grabbed the steering wheel with both hands. Just before the coaster jumped the curb, she swerved right, keeping it on the sidewalk. They dodged the mailman and some people eating ice cream. Then she swerved again, avoiding a brick wall. But the car was going so fast she couldn’t control it. Within seconds they were back on the street.
The car had a mind of its own. June could barely steer anymore. Instead, she yanked off the wheel. “Use this to pry off the thruster on the left!” she yelled, handing it to Banky as a station wagon sped past.
“Isn’t that the steering wheel?” he asked.
“It was! Now, hurry!” June cried.
Banky leaned into the makeshift lever, jamming the rim of the wheel between the extinguisher and the car. He used all his weight to pry it free. As soon as it fell away, the car went into a screeching left turn, just narrowly avoiding a huge truck. But the force of the other extinguisher was so intense it blasted apart the car, sending June and Banky flying in opposite directions.
Banky went crashing through a neighbor’s fence. The front seat of the car spun out the other way. It was a long while before it actually stopped. June sat up and felt her head and arms, making sure she wasn’t hurt. She was a little dizzy, but, otherwise, she was okay.
“That was… awesome!” she yelled.
“I’m alive!” Banky observed cheerfully. “Thank Krishna!”
Within a few minutes, all the neighborhood kids had found them. Sara, a girl who lived two houses down, kept telling them how cool they were. Rodney, the boy who had pulled the fishing line, wanted to go next. June and Banky were so excited, they barely noticed the angry old man who was stomping toward them. A woman was walking down the sidewalk, her face as red as a beet.
“My garden!” she yelled.
“Someone’s gonna pay!” the old man grumbled.
As if on cue, another piece of the man’s fence fell down. June looked up, hoping Rodney or Sara or any of the other kids would say something, but the crowd had scattered in every direction. Only she and Banky were left, sitting in a pile of wood and metal pieces from the broken coaster.
“Uh-oh,” June said. Her parents were not going to be happy about this.
A gruff worker in an orange vest stomped up the front stairs and handed June’s dad a bill. June’s dad stared down at it. “That much for one fire hydrant?” he asked.
“My advice?” the worker said. “Military school. That’s the kind of discipline your daughter needs.”
June watched from her bedroom window as a few more neighbors joined the long line up her front walk. There was the woman whose garden they’d ruined, the man whose fence they’d broken, the neighbor who was angry about her dog getting loose, their mailman, and then three other neighbors who June had never seen before. At this rate, her parents would be fielding complaints until midnight.
She slunk down against the wall, wondering how long she’d be grounded. After hearing the fifth conversation, she thought she’d be lucky if her parents let her out for senior prom. She was thinking of what to say, when her mom peeked around the door.
“The thing about military school…” June started. “It’s usually far away. Think about how much you’d miss me. Who would really be the one getting punished?”
“We’re not sending you to military school.” Her mom sighed.
“You’re not?” June actually grinned.
“Oh no,” her mom said. “Because military school doesn’t have nearly the amount of chores you’re going to be subjected to.”
“I guess I walked right into that one.…”
“What were you thinking, June?” Her mom furrowed her brows. “Do you know how lucky you are? It could have been a whole lot worse than a raspberry on your elbow.”
“I was just listening to you,” June tried. “You said Wonderland could be real. And that I could do anything.”
“I never want you to stop using your imagination, Junebug,” her mom said. “But I need you to also remember to be practical and safe. I can’t imagine what I’d do if something happened to you.”
June took a deep breath, letting it sink in. She knew her m
om was right. It wasn’t the safest or most practical idea to build a super-duper roller coaster that tore through the entire neighborhood, and she could’ve really hurt herself. Or Banky. But she still was just the tiniest bit proud.
“Even though I shouldn’t have done it,” she said, “did you think what I built was cool?”
“It doesn’t matter what I think,” her mom said. But then she glanced sideways at the dolls scattered across June’s floor. “But Gus and Cooper, on the other hand, would have been crazy impressed.”
“Yeah.” June laughed a little. “But Steve would’ve had a heart attack, huh?”
Steve was a porcupine, but sometimes June was convinced he was part chicken. He was afraid of everything!
“Yes!” June’s mom laughed, too.
“So… we can keep building more of Wonderland?” June said, a little nervous to hear the answer.
“Of course,” her mom said. “But, June, without wrecking the neighborhood.”
“Right.” June agreed. “Without wrecking the neighborhood…”
And that was how it began. After June finished about a hundred billion trillion chores, and her parents had made peace with every single one of the neighbors, she and her mom started building the largest, most expansive version of Wonderland yet. They drew a huge blueprint and came up with even more ideas for spectacular rides. It wasn’t long before every wall in June’s room was covered with new designs.
Using some gears they’d found in an old grandfather clock, June and her mom built a scale model called Clockwork Swings. It spun around and around, sending the tiny swings flying in a circle. June considered it the heart of the park, and when it was turned on, the whole place came to life. They built a statue of Peanut for the front entrance and a gift shop where everyone could buy the different Peanut dolls. They even made gates and lakes and tiny trees so the model would look as real as possible.
Then, one night when June and her parents were watching a movie about an astronaut, June was inspired to make a zero-gravity ride in which guests could float in space. She and her mom ran upstairs and gave Peanut the marker, and her mom whispered in his ear the way she did every time they wanted to create a new ride. Together they built a beautiful starry sky visitors could float through. It was one of the most magical places June had ever dreamed up.
Wonder Park--The Movie Novel Page 1
