Leeva at Last
$9.99 USD
paperback
Award-winning, bestselling author Sara Pennypacker is back with a hilarious stand-alone novel in the vein of Roald Dahl, about a precocious girl who transforms her community in surprising ways.
What are people for? That’s the burning question on the mind of Leeva Spayce Thornblossom.
Fame! says Leeva’s mom, the mayor of Nutsmore. Money! says her dad, the town treasurer.
Leeva isn’t convinced—she knows her parents are unreliable at best. So for the very first time, she pushes past the bounds of her yard to the world beyond to discover the answers on her own. There she meets Harry, an aspiring young actor yearning to study his craft; Pauline, the librarian sidelined from her job by a skateboarding accident; Osmund, a hazmat-suited boy who is afraid of everything; and Fern, a girl stuck in charge of countless younger siblings. With the help of these new friends, stacks of eye-opening books, and a badger named Bob, Leeva learns that people are good for more than she’d ever imagined!
But to her horror, she also learns that everyone thinks the Thornblossoms are good for nothing. Her parents have taken their power and used it to make the people of Nutsmore miserable. Leeva decides it’s up to her to right their wrongs and make Thornblossom a name to be proud of, no matter what it takes…
Sara Pennypacker is the author of the New York Times bestselling Pax and Pax, Journey Home; the award-winning Clementine series and its spinoff series, Waylon; and the acclaimed novels Summer of the Gypsy Moths and Here in the Real World. She divides her time between Cape Cod, MA, and Florida.
Matthew Cordell is the acclaimed author and illustrator of the Caldecott Medal winner Wolf in the Snow. He is also the author and illustrator of Cornbread & Poppy and Trouble Gum and the illustrator of If the S in Moose Comes Loose, Toot Toot Zoom!, Mighty Casey, Righty and Lefty, and Toby and the Snowflakes, which was written by his wife. Matthew lives in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, with his wife, author Julie Halpern, and their two children
"Pennypacker delivers a hugely entertaining mix of outsized comedic villainy, dreadful parents, delicious cookies, and kindness rewarded. Leeva’s sturdy instincts for both survival and justice are worth celebrating, as is the gift of books that expand her world. Splendid fun." -Kirkus Reviews
"Pennypacker tells the story with warmth and whimsy, recalling the tone and charm of Matilda. Though stuck in comically gloomy situations, Leeva is a delight, her eccentric companions are lovable, and the writing sparkles. A terrifically funny, tender tribute to the power of perseverance, community, and kindness." -Booklist
"Strongly recalling elements of Roald Dahl’s Matilda, this archly narrated satire from Pennypacker slyly integrates potent themes such as fairness, responsibility, and trust." -Publishers Weekly
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