I am always on the lookout for great series for emerging readers transitioning from 3rd grade to 4th grade. This is a series that I am really excited about. The second book, The Dramatic Life of Azaleah Lane, releases August 1st!
Summary:
Azaleah can’t wait for her class field trip to the National Zoo in Washington D.C., especially when her teacher announces the chance to earn extra credit. But when Azaleah gets home, she quickly realizes extra credit isn’t as easy as she thought. Azaleah’s younger sister Tiana can’t find Greenie, her stuffed animal, and she’s sure he’s been stolen. With Mama at the restaurant and Daddy at work on a big case, it seems Azaleah is the only one available to track down the stolen stuffie. Can Azaleah get to the bottom of the mystery in time to finish her extra credit?
My Thoughts:
There is so much to love about Azaleah and her determination! She is beyond excited to go on their third grade class field trip to the National Zoo, and there’s a bonus extra credit assignment that she wants to participate in. After the field trip they can choose any animal they learned about at the zoo and create a diorama for it. She thought it would be quite easy, but there are a lot of obstacles that get in her way. Her little sister, Tiana, has a HUGE predicament. She has lost her stuffie, also known as “Greenie”. She is absolutely sure that she did not leave it at the park or anywhere else, so she believes it has been stolen. Since Azaleah’s parents are at work, she doesn’t get much help. She also has a tight deadline for her class extra credit project, too. Azaleah has to turn into a mini-detective while helping her little sister, and plan when she can work on her project. What I loved about this book was the length, being around 115 pages, and the change of perspective Azaleah had when she was face-to-face with a personal problem and a problem with her sister. You can learn a lot about her character through the decisions she makes by choosing to help out her sister, meanwhile planning and checking off her checklist for her project. Her parents assure her that she can achieve both goals too, which I appreciated. This will be a great series for young readers and I am excited to see what is in store next for Azaleah!
About the Author
I was born and raised in Oakland, CA and now live in Davis, CA with my husband and two children. I love to read, write, listen to music, dance, act silly, and visit the coast. I’ve worked at elementary schools for over 25 years, and love spending my days with children.
My books include: The Little Christmas Elf (2011), Treasure Hunt (2019), Ann Fights for Freedom: An Underground Railroad Survival Story (2019), Noelle at Sea: A Titanic Survival Story (2019), and Charlotte Spies for Justice: A Civil War Survival Story (2019). I have two new titles releasing in 2020! The first is my new series with Capstone titled
The Amazing Life of Azaleah Lane, releasing January 1st. The second is Sarah Journeys West: An Oregon Trail Survival Story, releasing February 1st.
What is another great book that focuses on siblings? Share with me below!
Xo, Sierra
Books. Iced Lattes. Blessed. 
This sounds like a fun book. I will have to check it out. I didn’t know Nikki had a new book out.
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This new book looks delightful. I too write children’s books with siblings and main characters of color.
Living in Tanzania full time my stories are about the children /culture here through fiction /humor. You asked about other sibling books.
Little Dude and his Shagalabagala Day comes out in a couple of weeks. Children’s picture books out now –
http://Www.coniknepper@gmail.com
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This sounds like a great book! Azaleah sounds like a wonderful protagonist. Thanks for the great review!
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