Lula Bell on Geekdom, Freakdom & the Challenges of Bad Hair

Gr 4–6—Fifth-grader Lula Bell is having a rough year. Her former best friend has made her the target of her bullying, and she ignores her true friend, Alan, because the popular kids think that he is a geek. She has one person whom she can count on to understand how she feels, her grandmother. Grandma Bernice encourages Lula Bell to be herself and to "let her light shine." She also convinces Lula Bell to enter the school's talent show even though she is terrified to do so. The child's world changes forever when her beloved relative unexpectedly passes away. The book gives readers a sense of what Lula Bell feels; she could be any child who is being bullied and wants to become invisible. In the end, she learns some important lessons about real friends, life and death, and about herself.—Tammy Di Bartolo, Rapides Parish Library, Alexandria, LA