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A review by zarasecker23
The Adventures of Lola by Jade Harley, Craig Phillips
3.0
The first thing one notices about this book is the really colourful cover. It’s both enticing and inviting and very appropriate for the story contained within.
This is a good little story with lots of fun, frivolity, and adventures as the title suggests. It showcases how one person (in this case a fairy) can make a significant difference in the world and bring about change (a theme that is just as important now as it has ever been). The story moves quickly and I’m sure would keep the interest of young children. The descriptions are vibrant and effective without being overdone and unnecessarily wordy which tends to spoil a story. The story also shows how fear can trap people stopping themselves and others from exploring and how this in turn prevents growth and development. Some people may think this is a didactic style of writing but I must disagree - this is first and foremost a children’s story designed to be fun and colourful which it achieves successfully.
However, the news isn’t all good unfortunately. When reading the book I noticed a few grammar issues which should be addressed, especially as it is likely to be read by young children who are still learning English. On page 8 there is a comment about Lola sharing some news with her ‘bestest’ friends. The term ‘bestest’ is not correct and should be replaced with ‘best of’ instead. I also noticed that the possessive ‘s’ was often omitted and at other times it was included so I ask myself if the ones that were omitted was accidental and got missed in the editing process. In spite of this I still enjoyed the story, the characters, the scenery, and the ending.
This is a good little story with lots of fun, frivolity, and adventures as the title suggests. It showcases how one person (in this case a fairy) can make a significant difference in the world and bring about change (a theme that is just as important now as it has ever been). The story moves quickly and I’m sure would keep the interest of young children. The descriptions are vibrant and effective without being overdone and unnecessarily wordy which tends to spoil a story. The story also shows how fear can trap people stopping themselves and others from exploring and how this in turn prevents growth and development. Some people may think this is a didactic style of writing but I must disagree - this is first and foremost a children’s story designed to be fun and colourful which it achieves successfully.
However, the news isn’t all good unfortunately. When reading the book I noticed a few grammar issues which should be addressed, especially as it is likely to be read by young children who are still learning English. On page 8 there is a comment about Lola sharing some news with her ‘bestest’ friends. The term ‘bestest’ is not correct and should be replaced with ‘best of’ instead. I also noticed that the possessive ‘s’ was often omitted and at other times it was included so I ask myself if the ones that were omitted was accidental and got missed in the editing process. In spite of this I still enjoyed the story, the characters, the scenery, and the ending.