The Amazing Life of Azaleah Lane

November 1, 2019
When her baby sister, Tiana, realizes her favorite stuffed frog, Greenie, is missing, Azaleah promises to help her find him--but will she have enough time to help Tiana and complete her school project? Third grader Azaleah Lane is anxious to get home and start her diorama of Nikita the tiger after a visit to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. However, before she can get started, she must help Tiana find Greenie. Oldest sister Nia is of little help, as she's busy preparing to play Dorothy in her middle school production of The Wiz. In order to complete her diorama and help Tiana solve the mystery of Greenie's disappearance, Azaleah must prioritize her tasks and pay attention to the clues around her. This inaugural book in the Azaleah Lane series is a fast-paced and fun read, and Azaleah is a sympathetic, likable narrator who, like readers, is learning new vocabulary all the time. She thinks aloud as she works to solve the mystery, occasionally (and realistically) losing patience with the sobbing Tiana. Lobo's playful, full-color illustrations every few pages are just enough to give transitioning readers needed rests so they'll keep going; they depict Azaleah and her family as black. The backmatter includes a glossary of vocabulary words, book-discussion and writing prompts, and instructions for making a diorama. Young readers will be happy to make Azaleah's acquaintance. (Mystery. 6-8)

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December 1, 2019

Gr 2-4-Azaleah thoroughly enjoys her class's visit to the Smithsonian's National Zoo. And she's even more thrilled when she gets a chance to create a diorama of one of the animal habitats she saw while there for extra credit. But things don't go according to plan when her younger sister's stuffed frog goes missing, and she has to spend much of the weekend helping to search for it. Can she solve the mystery of the missing frog and finish her diorama, or is she setting herself up for disappointment? This enjoyable chapter book revolves around Azaleah and her upper-middle-class African American household and the ups and downs of family life in a Washington, DC suburb. Azaleah works well as an appealing character full of zeal and enthusiasm. The bright, cheerful illustrations add to the book's appeal. VERDICT A good choice for libraries that need more light, realistic mysteries for the early middle grade crowd.-Heidi Grange, Summit Elementary School, Smithfield, UT

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