How long does it take to read Serena and the Wild Doll?
Philip Coristine
Serena and the Wild Doll by Philip Coristine takes about 35 minutes to read at 250 words a minute.
About 35 minutes
An evening's read
First published 2000. 32 pages, about 8,800 words.
2 days at 30 minutes a day
Estimate based on 275 words per page.
At other speeds
| Slow, 150 words a minute | 59 minutes |
| Average, 250 words a minute | 35 minutes |
| Fast, 400 words a minute | 22 minutes |
The page count is the median across 3 editions, so your copy may differ. How we calculate.
About the book
A stunning picture book that deals gently with the themes of identity, making choices and following one's destiny. Serena is a lonely doll, forgotten amid musty books and discarded boxes in an attic. She doesn't realize it, but the children who used to play with her have grown up long ago. Each morning she prepares herself in hopes that visitors will come. From a small window she sees treetops, birds and stars. One day the door swings open and the fragrance of woods and sunshine fills the attic. But instead of children, there stands a wild doll, dirty and unkempt. The wild doll invites Serena out into the beautiful world to play, but she refuses, choosing instead to wait for the children to return. Alone once more, Serena stares out into the night, thinking of the wild doll and her invitation. A green star seems to beckon, and Serena makes up her mind to go. Down the stairs, through the house and out into the world she ventures. Down the streets, through the alleys, she searches for the wild doll. At last they meet and adventure ensues. They see beautiful sights, travel the town on the back of a fox, and ride a Ferris wheel. The wild doll explains that she was lost long ago and became wild. Now the whole world is her home and the animals are her friends. At the doll maker's shop, they peep through the window to see the man who made them both so long ago. As the dawn rises, the wild doll says good-bye, and as she disappears into the fading night, she advises Serena to go where the children go. When the children discover her, Serena is sitting on a swing with the wind in her hair and the sun on her face, and she finds a happy new home. Every now and then, however, when the green star calls her, Serena slips into the night to play once more with the wild doll.
