Review by Booklist Review
Not many kids begin school in fifth grade, and Emma's first week starts out pretty rocky. Though she had enjoyed homeschooling along with her older brother, he went off to high school last year. Now, for Emma, making friends is more difficult than expected. She gets along well with Jack, a boy with autism, but she notices that other classmates keep him at a distance, and worries that befriending him may isolate her from them. Woven through the narrative are scenes with Lapi, a pet rabbit that she helped rescue but may have to give up, and brief tales that Emma's Quebecois grandfather used to tell about Monsieur Lapin, a mischievous cottontail rabbit. The many strands of Emma's story, shaped by her self-reflection, courage, and kindness, converge in the satisfying conclusion. Lord, who wrote the Newbery Honor Book Rules (2006), uses clear, straightforward sentences to relate experiences in ways that speak directly to children. An author's note discusses the sources of certain story elements. From Emma's relationship with her brother to her insecurities about attending school to her procrastination in calling a family that's lost a rabbit, her emotions are mixed but layered and evident to readers. A heartfelt chapter book with broad appeal.--Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"Anything is possible with rabbits," Emma muses presciently as she and her game warden father rescue a distressed rabbit that she's allowed to keep. But it's the bunny that rescues Emma, who's beginning fifth grade at a Maine public school after being homeschooled. She's worried that no one there will need a new friend, and Owen, her older brother and soulmate, exacerbates things by becoming preoccupied with his new friends. In a characteristically articulate observation, Emma notes, "I'd been carrying a hole inside me since Owen went off to school last year and this little rabbit had jumped right into that hole and made himself at home." Her new pet (Lapi, short for Monsieur Lapin, a character from tales her beloved late grandfather shared) also fills an emotional void when her friendmaking gets off to a slow start-and then helps her connect with classmates, primarily a boy who seems to be on the autism spectrum, as she learns the rewards of patience and understanding the perspectives of others. Newbery Honor author Lord (Rules) offers a note detailing her personal inspirations for this insightful story-lucidly written from the heart. Ages 8-12. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-7-Emma has been homeschooled and is now ready to follow in her big brother Owen's footsteps and try public school. She is torn between being excited and scared. After all, fifth grade will be hard enough without having to worry if she will fit in or make friends. When Ms. Hutton assigns a group project, "Two Truths and a Lie," as a way for the students to get to know each other, Emma decides this will be her chance to become friends with Jack, Iris, and Leah. Jack ends up being her partner and though he is loud and somewhat different, he bonds with Emma over Monsieur Lapin, the honey-colored rescue rabbit she and her game warden father are fostering. Lord's characters are true to life and readers will surely see themselves in one of them. VERDICT A timely story which hits on current social issues in an honest and believable manner.-Martha Rico, El Paso ISD, TX © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Homeschooled all her life, Emma fluctuates between feeling scared and excited the night before starting fifth grade at a traditional school. An unexpected rescue trip with her father, a Maine game warden, is a good distraction, and Emma ends up bonding with a lost domesticated rabbit she names Monsieur Lapin (after the trickster tales her Qubcois grandparents used to tell). Her first day at school turns out badly: everyone already has a friend group, classes feel regimented, and lunch in the cafeteria is a disaster. Complicating matters is Jack, a boy in her class with special needs, with whom she has a lot in common but whom she doesnt treat as a real friend possibility. When a less-than-welcoming classmate tells Emma that Monsieur Lapin might belong to her neighbor, Emma must come to terms with the fact that having a friendeither human or animalmeans taking the time to consider others wants and needs. The interpersonal drama at school sorts itself out rather too quickly and neatly, but Emmas anxiety about social dynamics and her close relationship with her parents and devoted older brother are well drawn. Facts about pet rabbits divide chapters and provide broader meanings to contemplate within the context of the story (Rabbits have a blind spot in front of their nose. Its the only place they cant see). julie roach March/April 2019 p 86(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A young girl learns about honesty, integrity, and friendship when she finds a lost rabbit and starts school for the first time. Home-schooled by her mother, young Emma is very close to her parents and brother. She has beautiful memories of visiting her grandparents (now deceased) across the border in Quebec, where she learned about French-Canadian farming culture. Mmre taught her to bake, while Ppre told her stories about Monsieur Lapin, the rabbit, and all his woodland friends. But now Emma's life is changing. Her older brother, Owen, was her constant companion until he started high school and built a social life all his own. Lonely and hoping to make a friend, Emma decides to quit home schooling and enter the fifth grade at Lakeview Elementary. The night before she embarks on her first class, she accompanies her game-warden father on a call, and they find a pet bunny stuck in a fence. Mischievous Lapinamed for Ppre's storieswill offer both challenges and lessons to Emma as she navigates her new school and the politics of making friends with an unpopular boy. The beauty in Lord's tale of finding home in a new community is the way Emma's grandfather reaches her with his stories of magic even after he is gone, teaching her important lessons about following through on one's promises. Emma and her family are white, their Franco-American heritage a rarity in children's literature.Delightful. (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
