Lily's Promise by Kathryn Erskine


 This book is such a sweet story. Lily has promised her dad that she will try to "Strive for Five" which means she will step out of her comfort zone and speak up in school. Being in a public school for the first time, after previously being homeschooled by her recently deceased father, provides a lot of opportunity for Lily to live up to her promise, but can she do it? New school, new classmates and teachers, finding somewhere to sit in the lunchroom...too many pressures! When the election for class president rolls around, maybe Lily will be brave enough to help a new friend run but that's her limit, right?!?

The best part of this story is the connections and dialogue between the characters. Each one feels real and the are all relatable; we've either known someone just like each or we might be one of the characters ourselves! That said, I would be remiss if I did not highlight one other favorite part of this book- in between each chapter, the book talks to you about the author, her writing process, the characters and storyline, and Libro (as these sections are called) just feels like a friend who's reading along with you. 

I highly recommend this wonderful story about friendship, family, and stepping out of your comfort zone! This one will leave you with a smile.

-TK

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Image
  The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman Famed macabre author Neil Gaiman tells the story of Nobody “Bod” Owens. The story starts in a very creepy way, as a baby, Bod is orphaned after his family is murdered. He has no remaining family left, so he is “adopted” by the ghostly residents of the graveyard across the street. Bod is raised by ghosts and The Graveyard Book tracks the strange and creepy happenings of day to day graveyard life. This book is a modern, spooky retelling of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. You have probably all seen the movie. If you like the supernatural and adventure, then this is the book for you! -LG
Read more

The Cousins by Karen McManus

Image
  Karen McManus is one of my favorite authors. She writes awesome mystery/thrillers that are full of twists and turns. Her debut novel, One of Us is Lying is still by far her best (think the 80's movie The Breakfast Club only with a murder). That book has a sequel titled Two Can Keep a Secret, which is also very good.  In her third novel, which is completely separate from her first two, the readers sees three cousins get called to their grandmother's island home for summer jobs. They have no idea why they have been summoned because, after all, their grandmother disowned their parents years ago. Each cousin receives a note that says "You know what you did"which adds to the oddity of why they are there. Upon arrival, it quickly becomes clear that their grandmother has no idea they were even invited. Thus, the three cousins, who haven't seen each other in years, join up to figure out just what the heck is going on. The secrets the three cousins begin to dig up leads
Read more

After the Shot Drops by Randy Ribay

Image
  After the Shot Drops by Randy Ribay is a PHENOMENAL READ! I read it in one day-I simply couldn't put it down. The story is told in alternating perspectives of Bunny, a high school basketball phenom, and Nasir, Bunny's longtime friend. Bunny and Nasir both live in Whitman, a run down city where people constantly struggle to make ends meet. When Bunny gets recruited to attend a private school called St. Sebastian, he jumps at the offer without telling any of his friends. This causes many of his friends to shut Bunny out. While being a basketball star and chasing a state championship might sound glorious, being one of maybe six black kids in his new school is challenging for Bunny. He feels alone (though he does have his Whitman girlfriend named Keyona), but he wants a better life for himself and his family. Nasir, on the other hand, feels alienated and hurt because of Bunny's decision. Nasir's life gets even more difficult when he finds out his cousin Wallace is on the
Read more