Wonderland
A Year in the Life of an American High School
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4.7 • 3 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A “deeply affecting” account of a community of students planning an extraordinary prom night (Entertainment Weekly).
Journeying through “a year in the life of a suburban Pennsylvania public school,” Wonderland takes us to Pennsbury High, whose spring dance is a beloved tradition and a local legend (The New Yorker).
It’s an inspiring true story of a dance floor, the kids who fill it, and the unpredictable ways that their lives intersect. The star quarterback hides the pain of not knowing where his father is. A student with cerebral palsy is desperate to learn to tie Eagle Scout knots, despite a useless left hand. Two teen parents search for a babysitter so they can attend the festivities. And then there is Bob Costa, who dreams of bringing glory to the school by convincing John Mayer, whose song “Your Body Is a Wonderland” is an anthem for the students, to perform at the prom. Poignant, humorous, and joyful, this is “a captivating story about a small-town” (The Philadelphia Inquirer).
“Vivid, engaging . . . Something of a real-life teen soap: its intertwined storylines and folkloric personalities certainly draw you in the same way.” —The Atlantic Monthly
“A book that is as good as it ever gets.” —Buzz Bissinger, author of Friday Night Lights
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
For the last 30 years, Pennsbury High, a huge public school in Fairless Hills, Pa., has staged such an over-the-top senior prom that thousands of local residents turn out on prom night just to watch the seniors enter their "Wonderland." Bamberger, a Sports Illustrated senior writer, spent a school year with Pennsbury's seniors, recording their "true-life" stories. Since prom planning starts in September and climaxes in May, the event is both a good hook for readers and a convenient organizational device for various subplots that develop month by month. Will up-and-coming musician John Mayer finally agree to play for the prom? Will Rob and Stephanie still go to the prom, now that they're parents of a newborn baby? Will Lindsey keep co-chairing the prom committee even though she needs heart surgery? Bamberger cuts from one subplot to the next like a seasoned TV soap director, breaking away from each story just when it gets juicy. While much of the drama is about who's attracted to whom (high school kids are "on display, like mating birds"), for variety there's an ace student involved in a drinking death, another coping with cerebral palsy, some with college admissions problems, one or two kids planning for upward mobility via sports, plus a few faculty members with their own issues. Bamberger's teens may not be 100% typical, but they offer a good window onto at least a segment of contemporary teen culture. FYI: The book has been optioned by Paramount Pictures.
