Lila and Hadley

by Kody Keplinger (Author)

Lila and Hadley
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

Can a lost girl save a found dog? Find out in this unforgettable story about discovering true friendship, finding home, and the possibilities of forgiveness.

Hadley is angry about a lot of things: Her mom going to jail. Having to move to another state to live with her older sister, Beth, even though they haven't spoken in five years. Leaving her friends and her school behind. And going blind.

But then Hadley meets Lila.

Lila is an abandoned dog who spends her days just quietly lying around at the local dog rescue where Beth works. She doesn't listen to directions or play with the other dogs or show any interest in people. So when Lila comes and sits by Hadley (which is hardly anything, but it's more than she's done with others), Beth thinks maybe Hadley can help Lila. She tells Hadley they'll bring Lila home as a foster dog and Hadley can teach her to follow commands, walk on a leash, and be more of a people dog so she'll be ready to be adopted.

Only working with Lila is harder than Hadley thought, and so is the mobility training she starts taking to help with her failing vision. It feels like Lila is too stubborn to train and like learning to use a cane is impossible. But unless Hadley can help Lila, she'll never be adopted into a home. If Hadley could just let go of her anger, she might be able to save Lila... and herself.

New York Times bestselling author Kody Keplinger weaves an unforgettable story about discovering true friendship, finding home, and the possibilities of forgiveness.

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Publishers Weekly

When her mother lands in prison, 12- year-old Hadley moves from Tennessee to stay with her estranged sister, Beth, in a Kentucky suburb. She's also navigating worsening eyesight due to retinitis pigmentosa, and the frustrations layer into sadness and anger--Hadley avoids speaking to her mom, lashes out at Beth, and refuses to take mobility classes as her condition advances. When Lila, a depressed pit bull at the rescue where Beth works as a trainer, takes to Hadley, the sisters are tasked with fostering Lila--socializing her so she can be adopted. Spending time with Lila pushes Hadley to make some changes in her own life, accepting the hard things she faces and the love being offered. Like Hadley, Keplinger (That's Not What Happened) is legally blind, and details, such as a passage about using a cane, lend the story authenticity. Hadley's anger at her situation and changing ability is sensitively wrought, and her growth is organic and true in this touching story of acceptance, forgiveness, and interspecies friendship. Ages 8-12. Agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House. (Apr.)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 3-7—Growing up is difficult for most kids, but when you add in a single parent who is suddenly put in jail, having to move in with an older sister who you haven't seen in years and a degenerative eye disease that is slowly making you blind, things can seem even more impossible. Keplinger's novel handles all of these subjects without becoming overwhelming to the reader. Hadley's life seems like it's going as well as it possibly can when everything is turned upside down: Her mom is taken to jail for stealing money from her job, Hadley's degenerative eye disease is progressing faster than the doctors expected, and now she has to move hours away from her best friends to live with her sister. Through first-person narrative, Hadley reveals why she feels so angry and alone even when she is surrounded by others. After walking around the dog rescue where her sister works, she ends up befriending a dog named Lila, who will not respond to anyone but Hadley. The girl reluctantly ends up teaching Lila different commands while making a deal with the dog that if she responds to training, Hadley will attend mobility classes to learn how to navigate her gradually failing eyesight. Keplinger creates a story about growth focusing on the experiences of Lila and Hadley where each of them starts to come out of their shells and accept their surroundings. VERDICT A unique title that touches on experiences not covered in many middle grade books (going blind, mobility training, and dog training), with relatable and engaging characters. For fans of Wendy Mass's A Mango-Shaped Space and Andy Behrens's The Fast and the Furriest.—Lenore Catalano, Hammarskjold Middle School, East Brunswick, NJ

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Praise for New York Times bestselling author Kody Keplinger

Lila and Hadley
A funny, moving tale, at once unsparingly realistic and upbeat. —Kirkus Review

The Swift Boys & Me
A fine, honest and heartfelt coming-of-age tale. —Kirkus Reviews

Keplinger gives appropriate gravity to Nola's feelings of hurt and helplessness, while tempering her distress with reassuring outlets in her parents and two new friends. A believably bittersweet ending delivers an emotional understanding of the necessary changes we all undergo while growing up. —Booklist

Keplinger's book is a heartfelt exploration of the nature of friendship, pain, and healing. —Children's Literature

That's Not What Happened
An original and engrossing narrative about scars, recovery, and how the stories we tell can both sustain and hobble us. —Publishers Weekly

Echoing highly publicized tragedies, this taut, emotional story goes behind the headlines to reveal lives impacted by school violence. —Kirkus Reviews

A timely, thought-provoking read.... — School Library Journal

Unique... This is a must-read. —PASTE magazine

Run
Bo and Agnes' unlikely friendship rings true and strong. —Kirkus Reviews

A good unlikely friendship story with compelling characters and a nuanced portrait of disability and small-town life. —School Library Journal

There's plenty to recommend . . . though the most effective thing here remains Agnes' and Bo's voices and the strength of their realistically tumultuous relationship. —Booklist

The DUFF
A well-written, irreverent, and heartfelt debut. —Publishers Weekly

A complex, enemies-with-benefits relationship that the YA market has never seen before . . . Her snarky teen speak, true-to-life characterizations, and rollicking sense of humor never cease in her debut. —Kirkus Reviews

What's best here is Bianca's brazen voice. Even when confused, she is truer to herself than most. —Booklist

Lying Out Loud, a companion to The DUFF

Just like the recipients of Sonny's fibs, readers will find themselves duped by her creativity, unabashed courage, and hilarious snark. Until it all blows up. Fierce, fresh, total fun. —Kirkus Reviews

Readers will cringe as Sonny digs herself deeper and deeper into trouble, then applaud when she learns how to develop trust in her relationships with parents, friends, and of course, a hot romantic interest. —VOYA

Sonny is a realistic and very human character, and even though she is a liar, her motivations are all too believable. —School Library Journal
Kody Keplinger
Kody Keplinger grew up in a small Kentucky town. During her senior year of high school, she wrote her debut novel, The DUFF, which is a New York Times bestseller, a USA Today bestseller, a YALSA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, and a Romantic Times Top Pick. It has since been adapted into a major motion picture. Kody is also the author of Lying Out Loud, a companion to The DUFF; That's Not What Happened; Run; Shut Out; and A Midsummer's Nightmare, as well as the middle-grade novels Lila and Hadley and The Swift Boys & Me. Kody lives in New York City, where she teaches writing workshops and continues to write books for kids and teens. You can find more about her and her books at kodykeplinger.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781338306095
Lexile Measure
690
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Scholastic Press
Publication date
April 07, 2020
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV039050 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emotions & Feelings
JUV039090 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | New Experience
JUV002070 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Dogs
JUV013000 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | General
JUV039150 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Special Needs
Library of Congress categories
Dogs
Anger
Training
Sisters
People with disabilities
Mothers and daughters
Kentucky
Blind
Pit bull terriers
Blind children
Retinitis pigmentosa

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