Lou Lou and Pea and the Bicentennial Bonanza

March 1, 2018
Lou Lou and Pea are back for a second adventure following series opener Lou Lou & Pea and the Mural Mystery (2016).Fifth-grade best friends, the white, budding horticulturist Lou Lou (short for Louise) and Latina fashionista Pea (short for Peacock) are thrilled to be helping their neighborhood, El Corazn, host the citywide Bicentennial Bonanza. When the mayor must leave town for a family emergency and the vice mayor takes the reins of the event planning, things go awry. Vice Mayor Argyle, who is a villain straight from vaudeville melodrama with his garish clothing and slick goatee, claims to have discovered the long-lost diary of the city's founder, and its contents claim that rival neighborhood Verde Valley is the rightful host of the town anniversary fiesta. Lou Lou and Pea set out to prove the diary is a fake and reclaim their neighborhood's hosting role. The ending is a foregone conclusion, though it takes several chapters longer than necessary to arrive at the destination. Despite the verbosity, silly alliterative names and the fanciful premise seem written for a younger audience than the reading level would suggest. Apart from half-Mexican Pea, Latinx characters appear in several supporting roles, and Spanish vocabulary and location names are sprinkled throughout the text. However, starting with the clunky "Verde Valley" and extending to awkward use of Spanish in dialogue, the feeling is one of a predominantly white culture that has co-opted Latinx culture and language as its own. Kitschy and tedious. (Mystery. 8-12)

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April 1, 2018

Gr 3-5-Lou Lou and Pea are back again with their second novel, which centers around the Bicentennial Bonanza celebrating their city's 200th birthday-and the festival is in their own neighborhood, El Corazón. The girls are excited to showcase their talents at the event: Lou Lou will bring home-grown honeysuckle, while Pea creates hats. At first, everyone is getting ready for the celebration until the city's mayor must leave suddenly and the vice-mayor, Andy Argyle, is left in charge. Things get sticky when Mr. Argyle uncovers a secret diary belonging to the city's founders. It turns out that the Bonanza should be happening in a different neighborhood. The girls are skeptical and decide to find the truth. Spot art sprinkled around the edges of the pages add visual appeal and will entice young readers transitioning from chapter books. Pea, who is Mexican American, and other characters use Spanish sporadically; a glossary is also included. While this is part of a series, it is not necessary to have read the previous book in order to enjoy this installment. VERDICT With its soft illustrations, diverse cast of characters, and engaging and accessible style, this is an ideal recommendation for readers wishing to take the leap from simplistic chapter books to richer novels.-Katie Llera, Bound Brook High School, NJ

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