A review by angiew23
Lola and the new school by Keka Novales

5.0

I just finished reading this 64 page early chapterbook called Lola and the New School from the Hola Lola series written by Keka Novales and illustrated by Gloria Felix. The book is divided into 10 short chapters and there are nice colourful, detailed pictures approximately every 2-3 pages. The story focuses on Lola's first few days at a new private school, navigating making friends, finding her way around the school and bus and being brave. The book is very positive but demonstrates real problems and how children can face them and learn from their experiences. The story definitely values family and extended family, as well as Spanish language and culture.

The book includes an English and Spanish glossary with phonetics for pronunciation, as well as discussion questions, writing prompts, and a recipe for lemonade. This short novel demonstrates the importance of diverse books and would make a perfect addition to any early elementary class. I will definitely be purchasing this series to put in my Grade 3 class library in the future!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this great book! I love the opportunities I receive as a reviewer for Netgalley because there are so many great books to discover and my students will definitely benefit from this great find!