Kateland's LIS 721 Reading Response Blog

Valenti, Karla, and Islenia Mil. Lola . Alfred A. Knopf, 2024. Lola is our young protagonist who lives in a beautiful home in Mexico City surrounded by magic that is only visible to her. When both her brother and a tree in her backyard become very ill, Lola must go on a fantastic adventure to Floresta in order to help heal her brother Alex. In Lola , Valenti has built a perfect balance of fantastical realism, moving fluidly through both reality and the imaginative world. A reader can easily follow along and feel immersed fully in both Mexico City and Floresta. The events throughout are related; Lola must visit the magical land in order to help find healing in the realistic world. Valenti's use of magic and a fantastical land helps younger readers as they navigate the heavy topic of loss, grief, and guilt. Although Lola bravely faces her fears, she must face the difficult truth in letting go of Alex in order for him to heal. Alex also reveals some of his illness in the final chapter...

  Blume, Judy. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.: Special Edition . Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2020. In this special edition of the Judy Blume classic, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret , Margaret learns to navigate adolescence, moving, family relationships, fitting in, and friendship. This story takes place as Margaret and her parents move from New York City to Farbrook, a suburb in New Jersey. Our reliable narrator accurately describes what it was like to live in both the city and suburbs at that time, from the perspective of a child. The setting is a major factor in the book, as she must learn not only to navigate life in the suburbs, but she also blames the setting for why she’s farther from family members and needs to try and make new friends at a new school. While this story takes place in Farbrook, a reader can easily apply this story to their own hometown. Children, regardless of location, have had to navigate large changes around this age, and this story can ...