by Nina Lacour (Author) Sònia Albert (Illustrator)
A charming new chapter book by bestselling author Nina LaCour.
Welcome to 1106 Wildflower Place: It is no ordinary apartment house, but you, reader, are no ordinary visitor. So, please, come in!
Two new tenants have just arrived, and nine-year-old Ella is determined to help them settle in. Who better to teach them about the glitchy lights and the nighttime noises? After all, Ella knows all the neighbors. Well, almost all. No one has met the mysterious Robinsons who live on the top floor. Will a special neighborly celebration change all that? This bighearted chapter book by bestselling author Nina LaCour, highlighted by lively illustrations throughout, celebrates community, friendship, family, and home. It is a place of walking dogs that aren't yours, keeping surprises secret, and making everyone feel welcome.
Here, the eccentric joy of Armistead Maupin's Tales of The City merges seamlessly with the antic fun of Ivy + Bean, the family tenderness of The Penderwicks, and the madcap adventure of Eloise in an irresistible story that will leave you eager for the next one!
BESTSELLING, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR: Nina LaCour is a highly acclaimed author of both YA and adult novels. This is her first novel for younger readers and a terrific introduction of a talented writer to the next generation. H
ILARIOUSLY UNIVERSAL: Ella is a strong protagonist that readers of all ages and genders will love. She is bighearted, curious, and just a tad mischievous.
DIVERSE CAST OF CHARACTERS: Featuring many different family structures, this story is wonderfully diverse and inclusive. Any reader can imagine themselves living at 1106 Wildflower Place.
DRAWN FROM AUTHOR'S PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: The charming characters and their stories were conjured by LaCour and her young daughter during the long walks they took through San Francisco during the early days of Covid-19 and inspired by the people they encountered along the way.
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In this warm chapter book series opener, three brief, homey stories depict an irrepressible nine-year-old welcoming new residents to her beloved San Francisco apartment house, pondering the mutability of time, and finally meeting her reclusive neighbors. All her life, de facto concierge Ella has lived in the pink and green building at 1106 Wildflower Place. She knows its quirks--such as how to get the oven working in the ground floor apartment, and when to expect the raucous sounds of an instrument so rare it doesn't have a name--and cheerfully shares her knowledge with residents. The only child of moms Abby and Livy, Ella cultivates affectionate bonds with each of the inhabitants, including theatrical Matilda and dog owners Jacques and Merland, as well as the shy Robinsons on the top floor, despite never having met in person. Through Ella's infectious narration and the stories' loosely defined plots, LaCour (My Friend, Loonie) sketches distinctive, endearing characters and offers a gentle celebration of intergenerational friendship and community. Cozy grayscale illustrations by Albert (Santa's Secret Holiday) imply racial diversity among the supporting cast; Ella appears white. Ages 7-10. Agent: Sara Crowe, Sara Crowe Literary. (Nov.)
Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Gr 1-3--Printz Award--winning author LaCour is best known for her young adult novels that handle sensitive themes, such as teenage suicide, grief, queer love, hope, mental health, and loss. The author's foray into chapter books takes on lighter themes of time and its passing, family, community, inclusion, and the mindfulness of noticing things. Smart, curious, nine-year-old Ella is deeply involved in everyday happenings in the charming old pink Victorian house at 1106 Wildflower Place, San Francisco. Living there are the mysterious and rarely seen older couple, the Robinsons, long-time residents of the top floor. Ella and her two mothers share the middle floor with interracial gay couple Jacques and Merlan, and in the two ground floor apartments are Matilda, an artist, and the new neighbors, Leo and Cleo. Ella is determined to help the new neighbors settle into their unconventional household, and maybe meet the Robinsons along the way. Albert's drawings of people and things alluded to in the plot function as accents and aren't designed to move the story along. Readers will appreciate the simple, chapter-driven format of third-person narration with its appropriate vocabulary. Each speaker is clearly identified, and children should have no problem jumping back into the story if their reading is interrupted. VERDICT A worthwhile purchase that tells a pleasant, inclusive story populated by characters who represent a variety of backgrounds and identities and who come from diverse walks of life.--Cheryl Blevens
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.LaCour's new transitional chapter-book series is cozy and classic-feeling...Ella's curiosity and gregariousness are infectious, and she'll easily sweep readers into her charming world. — Booklist