Lola and the Troll

by Connie Schultz (Author) Sandy Rodriguez (Illustrator)

Lola and the Troll
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

A debut picture book by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author Connie Schultz, about a young girl named Lola who decides to be brave and stand up to a bully. Lola is a happy kid who loves recess and her imaginary dog, Tank.

There's just one problem: the neighborhood bully. He hides behind a troll costume and says mean things to everyone who walks by, including Lola. Soon she starts wearing her hair differently, walking on her tippy toes to add a few extra inches to her height, and even putting cornstarch in her shoes because he said her feet stink! But when Lola's mom takes her to her favorite place, The Bee's Sneeze bookstore, the owner, Ms. Sneesby, reminds Lola that she LOVES her curly hair, her bright smile, and her big eyes. And most importantly, Ms. Sneesby reminds Lola that she is brave.

Lola and the Troll is about remembering how to be brave, even when it's hard, and realizing that some-times all a bully really needs is a little kindness.

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Hardcover
$18.99

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Kirkus

Too idealistic by half.

ALA/Booklist

Thought-and-action provoking.

Publishers Weekly

In a chapter book-scale story that's full of moral conviction, Schultz (The Daughters of Erietown, for adults) writes about a child learning how to stand up to a bully. Each morning, tan-skinned Lola and her classmates hurry past Tom the Troll, who stands costumed in a doorway holding handmade signs that bear pointed personal insults. Accused of having "too big" hair, a loud voice, and more, Lola tries to change, tying her curls in a bun "the size of one of Grandma's drop biscuits" and speaking in whispering tones. "Is this still... me?" she wonders. When Lola's favorite bookseller, Ms. Sneesby, sees the change in Lola and names the problem ("What a bully. He must be very afraid of you"), it gives Lola the courage to unmask Tom. With doll-like cuteness, Rodriguez draws Lola; her tiny, often-invisible dog Tank ("small on the outside means mighty on the inside"); and her peers, portrayed with various skin tones, in the end rendering Tom as more hapless than menacing. Though wobbly logic undercuts the telling, this double picture book debut offers up a sparky protagonist and an instructive model of confronting cruelty head-on. Ages 4-8. (Feb.)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes



Connie Schultz
Connie Schultz is a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and Professor of Practice in Journalism at Denison University. Her favorite job title is Grandma. She is the author of a collection of essays, Life Happens, and a political memoir, ...and His Lovely Wife. Her first novel, The Daughters of Erietown, was a New York Times bestseller in 2020. Schultz lives in Cleveland with her husband, Sherrod Brown, and their two rescue dogs, Franklin and Walter, who bears a remarkable resemblance to Lola's pup, Tank. They have four children and eight grandchildren.

Sandy Rodríguez is a self-taught artist and illustrator. She grew up in Mexico surrounded by lots of family. (She has more than 30 cousins!) Inspired by everyday moments, Sandy loves creating playful characters with quirky personalities. Her favorite medium is watercolor and ink, but she also experiments with colored paper, gouache, and some digital magic. Sandy lives in London with her husband and two fantastic daughters. She is also the illustrator for Perla, the Mighty Dog! by Isabel Allende.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780593527634
Lexile Measure
580
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Razorbill
Publication date
February 06, 2024
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV052000 - Juvenile Fiction | Monsters
Library of Congress categories
Picture books
Courage
Bullying
Bullies and bullying

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