09/16/2019
It’s always been Lola and her mother in their Myrtle Beach, S.C., mobile home; her Australian father was deported before she was born and stopped calling when she was three. But now that fifth grade has started and her mom is extra tired all the time, Lola is beginning to wonder about that absent dad. Her best friend Kiana, who wants to be a detective, offers to find his contact information, and a class project on inventing an alternative life (“imagine who you might be if your life had taken a different turn”), inspiring Lola to imagine a life with him, and to get in touch. But as they search, Lola uncovers truths she did not expect about her mother, as well as class bully Mallory and, most of all, herself. John (Mascot ) brings the protagonist’s hometown to life with an array of well-developed secondary characters, including neighbor Ms. Archambault, who looks after Lola when her mother is at work, and Jayda, the local children’s librarian. Lola discovers the power of using her voice and, with the help of her community and friends, learns that family is the people who are there no matter what. Ages 8–12. (Oct.)
The characters are well drawn and believable. Cheerful Lola’s refreshing.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Lola is a strong, grounded character who might be temporarily shaken by fears or unhappiness but finds her equilibrium with the help of her extended, intergenerational network of friends. Her involving first-person narrative reveals insecurities known to many young readers and offers insights into the meaning of family.” — ALA Booklist
“John brings the protagonist’s hometown to life with an array of well-developed secondary characters. Lola discovers the power of using her voice and, with the help of her community and friends, learns that family is the people who are there no matter what.” — Publishers Weekly
“The book grapples sensitively with the concept of individual versus familial identity and presents it in a heartfelt manner. A winner for its genuine take on coming of age that will speak to readers wondering about an absent parent or just figuring out who they are.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"Lola has strong, positive peer friendships that set a good example of inclusion. Readers will appreciate John’s willingness to tackle big topics and may relate to Lola’s frustrations with growing up." — School Library Journal
"With a smart, funny, feisty narrator and a tantalizing family mystery, this is a perfect pick for any child who fears their family is somehow 'less' than others." — Cammie McGovern, author of Chester and Gus
“An uplifting story about authenticity and community. Deceptively simple. Deeply truthful.” — Mary Casanova, author of The Klipfish Code
"A witty, heartfelt tale about the true meaning of friendship and family." — Angela Cervantes, author of Lety Out Loud
PRAISE FOR Mascot : “The strength and beauty of this novel lie in the ways in which a community gathers around Noah. You’ll bawl at the ending, because it is so very real.” — New York Times Book Review
“Wonderful. Poignant. Beautifully written. Perfect voice. Do not miss this book. Mascot is a masterpiece.” — Roland Smith, New York Times bestselling author of Peak, Zach’s Lie, and Cryptid Hunters
“Mascot is the kind of book that makes me want to dress up in a costume and loudly tell the world about it.” — Obert Skye, bestselling author of the Leven Thumps series
“Noah’s dilemma is universal: the struggle to rebuild identity when what once defined us no longer exists. Highlights the challenges of adapting to puberty and sudden disability at the same time.” — Kirkus Reviews
“This action-packed, humorous story contains well-developed, dynamic characters who are thoughtful and relatable.” — School Library Journal
“It is heartening to see young characters who don’t hesitate at their differences or care what other people think. As Noah comes to terms with his life-changing accident in this refreshingly fastpaced novel, readers will have an easy time cheering him on as he moves toward recovery.” — Booklist
“The comedy balances accessibly with Noah’s grief, and readers will appreciate his return to the field.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Lola is a strong, grounded character who might be temporarily shaken by fears or unhappiness but finds her equilibrium with the help of her extended, intergenerational network of friends. Her involving first-person narrative reveals insecurities known to many young readers and offers insights into the meaning of family.”
"A witty, heartfelt tale about the true meaning of friendship and family."
Wonderful. Poignant. Beautifully written. Perfect voice. Do not miss this book. Mascot is a masterpiece.
PRAISE FOR Mascot : “The strength and beauty of this novel lie in the ways in which a community gathers around Noah. You’ll bawl at the ending, because it is so very real.
New York Times Book Review
An uplifting story about authenticity and community. Deceptively simple. Deeply truthful.
The book grapples sensitively with the concept of individual versus familial identity and presents it in a heartfelt manner. A winner for its genuine take on coming of age that will speak to readers wondering about an absent parent or just figuring out who they are.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"With a smart, funny, feisty narrator and a tantalizing family mystery, this is a perfect pick for any child who fears their family is somehow 'less' than others."
It is heartening to see young characters who don’t hesitate at their differences or care what other people think. As Noah comes to terms with his life-changing accident in this refreshingly fastpaced novel, readers will have an easy time cheering him on as he moves toward recovery.
Mascot is the kind of book that makes me want to dress up in a costume and loudly tell the world about it.
The book grapples sensitively with the concept of individual versus familial identity and presents it in a heartfelt manner. A winner for its genuine take on coming of age that will speak to readers wondering about an absent parent or just figuring out who they are.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
It is heartening to see young characters who don’t hesitate at their differences or care what other people think. As Noah comes to terms with his life-changing accident in this refreshingly fastpaced novel, readers will have an easy time cheering him on as he moves toward recovery.
The book grapples sensitively with the concept of individual versus familial identity and presents it in a heartfelt manner. A winner for its genuine take on coming of age that will speak to readers wondering about an absent parent or just figuring out who they are.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
10/07/2019
Gr 4–7 -If fifth-grader Lola Harmon could find her father, she believes her life would be so much better. She could live in a big house like her friends, her mom wouldn't have to work late shifts at the restaurant, and when her mom gets sick, Lola wouldn't feel so alone. When her teacher assigns a project to write about what life would be like if one big thing were different, Lola decides to track down her father, convinced her whole life will change when she finds him. This story, ultimately, is about a girl trying to find her place as she feels stuck between childhood and adulthood. She is surrounded by loving adults, but struggles to trust them as she copes with the unexplained missing presence of her father. There are times when Lola seems much too gifted for her 10 years, and other times where she is frustratingly oblivious to her surroundings. Heavy themes feel scattered and at odds with the writing style, which is geared more toward younger middle-grade readers, and several weighty subplots feel lost in the overall story arc and are quickly forgotten. Many of the adults fail to be the strong role models Lola needs, but Lola has strong, positive peer friendships that set a good example of inclusion. VERDICT Readers will appreciate John's willingness to tackle big topics and may relate to Lola's frustrations with growing up, but other readers may feel caught in the mire of plot threads.-Kristin Brynsvold, Tuckahoe Elementary School, Arlington, VA
Narrator Bailey Carr establishes a youthful voice and Southern accent for 10-year-old Lola, who lives with her Momma in the resort town of Myrtle Beach. Lola and Momma have been doing just fine by themselves, but now that Lola has entered fifth grade, things start to change. She becomes curious about her absent father, an Australian tourist who left before she was born. Carr’s slow and steady pacing captures the story and setting as Lola begins to research and learn more about her father. Listeners will develop a connection to Lola, her family, and her friends as she navigates new feelings of kinship in this coming-of-age novel. M.D. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Narrator Bailey Carr establishes a youthful voice and Southern accent for 10-year-old Lola, who lives with her Momma in the resort town of Myrtle Beach. Lola and Momma have been doing just fine by themselves, but now that Lola has entered fifth grade, things start to change. She becomes curious about her absent father, an Australian tourist who left before she was born. Carr’s slow and steady pacing captures the story and setting as Lola begins to research and learn more about her father. Listeners will develop a connection to Lola, her family, and her friends as she navigates new feelings of kinship in this coming-of-age novel. M.D. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
2019-07-28
Lola and her single mom occupy a mobile home in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, owned by elderly neighbor and friend Ms. Archambault. All Lola knows about her Australian dad is his name and that, having overstayed his tourist visa, he was deported before her birth. Momma's uncomfortable talking about him and, lately, too tired to do much beyond her evening restaurant job. Lola's friends include classmates Kiana, her BFF, and friendly Nick (but not unfriendly, universally disliked Mallory). Tiffany, 5, whom Lola reads to on the school bus; Ms. A, who cares for Lola after school; Kiana's parents; and Nick's sister, Kat, are Lola fans, too. A class assignment—to imagine who they'd be under different life circumstances—reminds Lola how little she knows of her own history, prompting her to attempt connecting with her father. Kiana, Nick, and Kat are happy to help, but Lola avoids telling Momma, now sidelined by a serious illness. The characters are well drawn and believable, although John avoids naming race or even physical descriptions, reinforcing a white default reading. Cheerful Lola's refreshing: a well-liked, kind, sensible kid with a droll take on the world. If the ending feels pat, the resolution too easily achieved, the scattered subplots involving class, entitlement, and autonomy leave readers something meatier to ponder.
Comfortably low-key, character-driven entertainment. (Fiction. 8-12)
