Leeva at Last
“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.
With the help of an orphaned badger, a risk-averse boy in a hazmat suit, and the town’s librarians, Leeva sets off to discover her own answer—setting off a chain of events that will change Nutsmore forever.
Illustrated by Mathew Cordell
”What are people for?” Leeva’s social circle and her understanding of the world expand exponentially, and eventually she and her new friends (and a badger) play a role in ridding the town of the adult Thornblossoms and returning all the money they stole. By story’s end, Leeva knows exactly what people are for: “Everything that happens is better when someone else shares it with you.” —Horn Book
“There’s a lot to love about Sara Pennypacker’s cartoonish but heartstring-tugging tale of an abused kid who finds friendship and chosen family and discovers ways to right a lot of wrongs. The author often puts her heroes in dark situations, and Leeva is no exception, as the 8- or 9-year-old girl longs for her awful parents’ love and starts to realize she may have to look elsewhere for that kind of feeling — even if she’s getting most of her ideas about the outside world from a soap opera.” —Common Sense Media
“Leeva at Last is a funny, charming, and whimsical young middle grade book about what it means to care about others. This is a classic story with a moving message of community, friendship, and the love of books (and the power of libraries). This feels like a ready-made childhood classic in the vein of Matilda, Ramona, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Younger readers will be delighted by the illustrations and the sweet protagonist.” —Reading Middle Grade
Novels by Sara Pennypacker
Chapter Books by Sara Pennypacker
Picture Books by Sara Pennypacker
