Weslandia

"Weslandia" is a novel by Newberry Medal winner Paul Fleischman, with illustration by by Kevin Hawkes. It was published in 1999 by Candlewick Press. 1

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.2

The over-arching them of the story is that unique personalities can lead to innovation and success, demonstrating the problem of groupthink in adolescent peer relationships and potentially encouraging social outcasts to follow their own path.3There are also certain higher-level, if simplistic, social critiques built into the story. One illustration shows Wesley's suburban neighborhood from above, which basically shows a landscape of identical houses -- with the only variation being "garage on the left or garage on the right." This architectural blandness is a mirror of the groupthink that initially leads Wesley's classmates to bully him for being unusual, but it's perpetrated by home-owning adults instead, who are unable or afraid to think outside of the box.4

Also, the plant that magically sprouts in the protagonist's backyard (which he calls the "swist") allows him to create food, shelter, and entertainment. This could be considered as a lesson on environmentalism and self-sufficiency. One of Wesley's neighbors asks him if the newly-sprouted plant is a tomato, bean, or brussel sprout -- because those are the only plants that the neighbor could fathom growing in a garden.5

The book's ISBN number is 9780613635318 ( [http://isbn.nu/9780613635318] )for the hardcover version and 9780606259873 ( [http://isbn.nu/9780606259873] ) for the paperback reprint.6