8.4 /10 1 Votes8.4
Language English Originally published 1999 Country United States of America ISBN 978-0-613-63531-8 | 4.2/5 Goodreads Publication date 1999 Illustrator Kevin Hawkes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Media type Print (hardback & paperback) Genres Fiction, Children's literature Similar Kevin Hawkes books, Works by Paul Fleischman, Children's literature | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weslandia is a novel by Newbery Medal winner Paul Fleischman, with illustrations by Kevin Hawkes. It was published in 1999 by Candlewick Press.
Plot overview
The story follows a protagonist, Wesley, in the creation of an eponymous micro-nation in his parents' backyard. His efforts are successful, and instead of being a social outcast, he gains a group of followers made up of his former grade-school tormentors.
When Wesley, a somewhat eccentric boy with no friends, discovers a mysterious plant magically growing in his parents' backyard, he cultivates the plant over his summer vacation. The plant, which he names "swist", provides him with a food source, and allows him to build shelter, tools, and even create his own entertainment and inspires Wesley to create his own writing system. Wesley's resourcefulness and meticulous research eventually allow to him the basis of his own civilization which he names "Weslandia." Wesley gets bullied and teased because he is a nerd.