Last-But-Not-Least Lola and the Wild Chicken

by Christine Pakkala, Paul Hoppe (Illustrator)

Overview

Lola's back! She patched things up with frenemy Amanda Anderson, but it's not happily ever after for these two best friends, at least not yet. Lola doesn't want to share Amanda, especially not with Jessie, who seems to be around . . . all the time. Can there be more than two best friends? And what does a wild chicken have to do with anything? Hint: The answer involves a class trip to a farm. When Lola is around, you never know what will happen next. This second book in Christine Pakkala's dynamic series is sure to capture the hearts of readers who love a spunky heroine and some unexpected antics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781629792781
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	10/09/2014
Series:	Last-But-Not-Least Lola
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	216
Lexile:	490L (what's this?)
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Christine Pakkala has an MFA in Poetry from Iowa Writers' Workshop and has taught seventh- and ninth-grade English in New York City. Last-But-Not-Least Lola and the Wild Chicken is her third novel. She lives in Westport, Connecticut. christinepakkala.com.

Paul Hoppe is a New York-based illustrator, designer, and author who teaches at the School of Visual Arts. He is the author-illustrator of two picture books and the illustrator for several other picture books and young adult books. His work regularly appears in the New York Times and the New Yorker. Born in Poland and raised in Germany, he now lives in Brooklyn, New York. paulhoppe.de.

Editorial Reviews

" . . . Pakkala perfectly captures the competitive jealousy that sparks among little girls as they claim best friends, as well as the supportive tone of a good teacher caring for well-intentioned but accident-causing pupils. Hoppe's smart cartoon spot illustrations suit the fast-paced, emotionally resonant, and sometimes silly story, further qualifying Lola as the up-to-date heir of Beverly Cleary's Ramona stories. Sweet Lola, who never means to but routinely gets in trouble, will be a comforting character for emergent readers, especially those who sometimes have a hard time not making mistakes." — Booklist

" . . . The characters in this contemporary story are delightfully complex, and while they claim to dislike one another, the empathy they display toward one another is what sets this story apart . . . The pen-and-ink drawings are bright and inviting . . . this romp is a worthwhile read." — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

07/01/2014
Gr 2–5—In her entertaining first book, second-grader Lola Zuckerman, with the help of her family and classmates, came from last place to win her class's "green" vest. In this second installment, readers again find Lola vying to come out on top. This time her class challenge is making friends. Lola covets the sole attention of her best friend, Amanda. Yet Lola's enemy, Jessie, is also Amanda's best friend. To complicate matters further, there is a new girl in class named Savannah. Lola sees both girls as her rivals. "All of us can be best friends," says Amanda. Lola disagrees. With her parents both away on business, Lola's grandma attempts to impart wisdom through her tales of an impatient chicken called Lola. All of this is centered on an upcoming class visit to Kookamut farm. The characters in this contemporary story are delightfully complex, and while they claim to dislike one another, the empathy they display toward one another is what sets this story apart. Lola must learn to cope with feelings that confuse her and repeatedly land her in trouble. The pen-and-ink drawings are bright and inviting. Once again, kids will root for Lola on her quest to be a "good" person. While not as humorous as her first adventure, this romp is a worthwhile read.—Sada Mozer, Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal

2014-07-16
Lola is back in another tale of school and rocky friendship (Last-But-Not-Least Lola Going Green, 2013). Lola Zuckerman is still in the second grade with Mrs. D., the teacher who refers to her students as brands of candy ("she luh-huvs candy") and insists (for reasons unexplained to readers) on calling her class in alphabetical order. Amanda Anderson is always first, and Lola is always last. This drives Lola mad, especially since Amanda is her (sometimes) best friend, and Lola would like her all to herself. Lola's parents are out of town, and her grandmother is taking care of her and her brother Jack. Grandma loves her "bubelahs," but she's not much of a cook, which adds to Lola's general misery. When new kid Savannah also befriends Amanda, Lola reaches her boiling point. Jealousy is a standard theme for school stories, but Lola's never-ending episodes become tiresome. She makes herself so unlikable that the inevitable happy ending is hard to believe. From Lola to the teacher to the visiting grandmother, each character is more caricature than real person. Hoppe's emotionally honest, frequent black-and-white drawings hold the narrative together well, adding interest when the plot falls. While it's nice to have a Jewish chapter-book protagonist, so far Lola is mostly Clementine-lite. (Fiction. 7-11)

Kirkus Reviews