The Other, Better Me

September 16, 2019
It’s always been Lola and her mother in their Myrtle Beach, S.C., mobile home; her Australian father was deported before she was born and stopped calling when she was three. But now that fifth grade has started and her mom is extra tired all the time, Lola is beginning to wonder about that absent dad. Her best friend Kiana, who wants to be a detective, offers to find his contact information, and a class project on inventing an alternative life (“imagine who you might be if your life had taken a different turn”), inspiring Lola to imagine a life with him, and to get in touch. But as they search, Lola uncovers truths she did not expect about her mother, as well as class bully Mallory and, most of all, herself. John (Mascot) brings the protagonist’s hometown to life with an array of well-developed secondary characters, including neighbor Ms. Archambault, who looks after Lola when her mother is at work, and Jayda, the local children’s librarian. Lola discovers the power of using her voice and, with the help of her community and friends, learns that family is the people who are there no matter what. Ages 8–12.

October 7, 2019

Gr 4-7-If fifth-grader Lola Harmon could find her father, she believes her life would be so much better. She could live in a big house like her friends, her mom wouldn't have to work late shifts at the restaurant, and when her mom gets sick, Lola wouldn't feel so alone. When her teacher assigns a project to write about what life would be like if one big thing were different, Lola decides to track down her father, convinced her whole life will change when she finds him. This story, ultimately, is about a girl trying to find her place as she feels stuck between childhood and adulthood. She is surrounded by loving adults, but struggles to trust them as she copes with the unexplained missing presence of her father. There are times when Lola seems much too gifted for her 10 years, and other times where she is frustratingly oblivious to her surroundings. Heavy themes feel scattered and at odds with the writing style, which is geared more toward younger middle-grade readers, and several weighty subplots feel lost in the overall story arc and are quickly forgotten. Many of the adults fail to be the strong role models Lola needs, but Lola has strong, positive peer friendships that set a good example of inclusion. VERDICT Readers will appreciate John's willingness to tackle big topics and may relate to Lola's frustrations with growing up, but other readers may feel caught in the mire of plot threads.-Kristin Brynsvold, Tuckahoe Elementary School, Arlington, VA

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 15, 2019
An amiable fifth grader's school assignment leads her to seek out the father she's never known. Lola and her single mom occupy a mobile home in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, owned by elderly neighbor and friend Ms. Archambault. All Lola knows about her Australian dad is his name and that, having overstayed his tourist visa, he was deported before her birth. Momma's uncomfortable talking about him and, lately, too tired to do much beyond her evening restaurant job. Lola's friends include classmates Kiana, her BFF, and friendly Nick (but not unfriendly, universally disliked Mallory). Tiffany, 5, whom Lola reads to on the school bus; Ms. A, who cares for Lola after school; Kiana's parents; and Nick's sister, Kat, are Lola fans, too. A class assignment--to imagine who they'd be under different life circumstances--reminds Lola how little she knows of her own history, prompting her to attempt connecting with her father. Kiana, Nick, and Kat are happy to help, but Lola avoids telling Momma, now sidelined by a serious illness. The characters are well drawn and believable, although John avoids naming race or even physical descriptions, reinforcing a white default reading. Cheerful Lola's refreshing: a well-liked, kind, sensible kid with a droll take on the world. If the ending feels pat, the resolution too easily achieved, the scattered subplots involving class, entitlement, and autonomy leave readers something meatier to ponder. Comfortably low-key, character-driven entertainment. (Fiction. 8-12)

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Narrator Bailey Carr establishes a youthful voice and Southern accent for 10-year-old Lola, who lives with her Momma in the resort town of Myrtle Beach. Lola and Momma have been doing just fine by themselves, but now that Lola has entered fifth grade, things start to change. She becomes curious about her absent father, an Australian tourist who left before she was born. Carr's slow and steady pacing captures the story and setting as Lola begins to research and learn more about her father. Listeners will develop a connection to Lola, her family, and her friends as she navigates new feelings of kinship in this coming-of-age novel. M.D. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

September 15, 2019
Grades 4-6 Lola's family has two members: herself and her mother. But now that Momma is sick, two seems like a fragile number to Lola. It's not that they're socially isolated: while Mom's having radiation treatments, Lola stays with Ms. Archambault, a grandmotherly neighbor. And no one could ask for better friends than Nick and Kiana, whose parents love Lola like a daughter. Still, she doesn't know her father, who returned to Australia before she was born. With help from Kiana, she tries to contact him. Meanwhile, after overhearing a conversation between a disliked classmate and her disagreeable mother, Lola gains new insight into the girl's problems and suddenly sees her own family in a new, more expansive way. Set in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the story portrays Lola as a strong, grounded character who might be temporarily shaken by fears or unhappiness but finds her equilibrium with the help of her extended, intergenerational network of friends. Her involving first-person narrative reveals insecurities known to many young readers and offers insights into the meaning of family.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)