Last-But-Not-Least Lola Going Green

by Christine Pakkala, Paul Hoppe (Illustrator)

Lola Zuckerman is always last -- ding-dong, Z-for-Zuckerman last. What this means, of course, is that Lola has to win first place in her class's "Going Green" contest. And she'll need to beat Amanda Anderson -- always first, and more importantly, her ex-best-friend! In this laugh-out-loud story with unforgettable characters -- the first in an ongoing series about Lola's travails -- Lola's out to prove that while she may be last, she is certainly not least!

Genres: Middle Grade, Humor, Juvenile, Friendship, Realistic Fiction, Childrens, Chapter Books

192 pages, Hardcover

First published September 3, 2013

About the author

Christine Pakkala was born and raised in Idaho. She earned an MFA from the Iowa Writers Workshop (Poetry) and was a Fulbright scholar. She's the author of Last But Not Least Lola: Going Green, which earned a starred review from School Library Journal. Jasmine and Maddie earned a spot on School Library Journal's "What Hot In YA" for Summer, 2014. Last But Not Least Lola and the Wild Chicken is forthcoming September, 2014, and Last But Not Least Lola and The Haunted Mansion is scheduled for September, 2015. All titles are from Boyds Mills Press, an imprint of Highlight. Christine, a former English teacher with a passion for punctuation and poetry, now teaches creative writing at the Westport Writers' Workshop. She lives in Westport, CT with her husband, two children and two dogs.

Reviews

[Jennifer Blankfein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book - Lola Zuckerman is always last but she never gives up and tries to behave and do her best! Christine Pakkala writes about Lola with laugh out loud humor,and teaches us lessons about being green, competition and friendship along the way. I definitely recommend this for second through fifth graders. A charming series!

[LibraryDanielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this title up as an ARC at BEA13.

This is a pretty cute early elementary book. I feel like it's more age appropriate that Junie B. and that Lola is more a more likeable little girl.

The story flowed well and was (I felt) a believable voice for a 2nd grade girl. The chapters weren't too long, and there were spaces for pictures (in the final version) which would help keep a child's attention.

Lola has a problem. Her last name is Zuckerman, which means she always has to go last in her class. So when everyone has to come up with an idea for a Going Green contest (the winner gets to be Captain Green and have lunch in the teacher's lounge which is made of candy!) she has to wait for all of her classmates to go first. Which means that all her good ideas get taken. But she just HAS to win this contest because her older brother Jack did, and got to be Green Captain and now it just has to be Lola's turn....

(we will be getting this title for the JCL when it is released in September 2013)

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

My six year old gave this five stars and has this to say about this book:

it was very good. even though she is last she is always fun ! I think you should read it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Christine Pakkala · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it...but then again, I wrote it!

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very funny book about Lola Zuckerman and her problems with having a last name start with Z.

[Rachel Bridgeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

We really enjoyed this book!! It's perfect for fans of books like Horrid Henry, or Clarice Bean in that it's part illustrated, part written and very funny! I read it with my 8 year old daughter, Jenny, and she identified with the main character very quickly. Lola Zuckerman is fed up of being last, purely because her surname starts with a 'Z'. She's last to be called on the register, last to be called out in class (which means everyone has used up all her ideas by the time she gets her turn) and her previous best friend, now worst enemy, Amanda Anderson, gets to go first every time. Lola's class is having a competition to find the best 'Going Green' idea, one that will be practical and promote environmental awareness. Her list of ideas is exhausted by all the other children, the only thing she can think of is something her Grandma did and she's not sure whether her Grandma was crazy! Is winning at all costs the best thing in the world? How did the 2 girls fall out of being friends? Will thye ever make up? The book explores the issues of what it means to be first or last,and considering other people's feelings.It really captures the voice of a young girl and when each chapter ended, Jenny was saying 'Just one more!' We read half the book in one night as we both wanted to see where it was going. That, to me, is the mark of a great children's book, and I hope it's successful and we see more of Lola!

[Elfeeza Ehsan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christine Pakkala writes with a bit of humour and keeps her chapters short and face-paced. That's what I like about this book. The story is simple and quite easy to follow. There are also many lessons to learn from the story (being a good friend, being a good sport, etc). She also keeps he story real. Many of Lola's and the other characters' actions were very real behaviours. It was refreshing to read a book where the characters are not all so well-behaved and good as kids being kids will behave a certain way. I am interested in reading some of the other books to see how the story, the characters and Christine Pakkala's writing develop before recommending it to my students.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lola is frustrated. Her last name is Zuckerman, which means she is last for everything because her teacher believes in doing everything in absolute alphabetical order. Lola is also frustrated because her very best friend, Amanda Anderson, moved to a different part of town and is making new friends. Lola is excited to take part in her classroom's Going Green contest. But trouble starts when every one of her ideas gets taken before they get to her very last spot on the class list. Using her bright mind she manages to come up with something, but it wasn't easy. She maneuvers her way around school and friendships in a unique yet realistic way. Lola is as endearing as Ramon the Pest and Junie B Jones. Though this series is in between the two as far as reading level goes. Girls in the 2nd-4th grade are sure to find a special place in their heart for LAst-But-Not-Least Lola Zuckerman!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second grader Lola Zuckerman is not too thrilled with her last name since it means she is almost always called on last by her teacher, the candy-loving Mrs. DeBenedetti. When the class offers suggestions for going green, Lola is determined to beat her former best friend, Amanda, with her idea for composting instead of Amanda's idea of a trash-free lunch. What I liked most about the story is how the author reveals different motives for Lola's disgruntled attitude and how she uses phrases such as "ball-faced liar" incorrectly. Although the illustrations, created with pen on paper and shaded digitally, make Lola seem older than second grade, they capture her personality quite well. Who knew that going green could cause so much turmoil in a class? I'll look for more books featuring this particular character.

[Brenda Kahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second grader Lola, prone to outbursts and malapropisms, is tired of being last. She's always last in her class due to her last name starting with a z and seems to be last in her family. She's also missing her best friend, Amanda, but mad at her as well, since she's always first. If Lola doesn't quite muscle out Junie B. and Clementine, there's always room for another quirky heroine if the budget allows. Lola's voice is humorous and authentic but some of the school situations seem contrived, such a second grade teacher who rigidly calls on students alphabetically? Plentiful spot art adds energy to this beginning chapter book and start of a new series. A sneak preview of book 2 is included at the end.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lola Zuckerman is always last. Having a Z last name means she never gets to go first in anything. She really wants to win the Going Green challenge at school and become Green Captain. But since she is last all her ideas get taken. Then she comes up with composting. Her rival Amanda comes up with trash-free lunch. The 2nd grade class votes on which one they want to do and Lola wins. She rubs into into Amanda's face and is a bit mean about it. But Lola quickly learns her lesson and she and Amanda become friends. This is definitely a beginner chapter book. Lola is a bit obnoxious and not really that nice. She does redeem herself at the end, but she is still not one of my favorite characters.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for any young elementary students to read. Lola is in 2nd grade, in a feud with her best friend, and sick of being last - both alphabetically by her last name of Zuckerman and also always not as good as her older brother. I would have loved to have read this at that age, as I remember always being in the shadow of my older sister, and fighting needlessly with good friends! It has a great plot that's current for today's age (it starts with the class having a competition to come up with "green" ideas - Lola wants to make a compost heap out of their trash!) and of course over the course of the book she learns to make up with her best friend.

[H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would make a very good read aloud in a 2nd or 3rd grade classroom. It is the first in a series about Lola Zuckerman, a 2nd grade girl who despertaely wants to be "Green Captain" of her classroom. Students will relate to Lola, and her problems dealing with ex-best friend Amanda Adamson. Teachers will recognize the dynamics of the social milieu of second grade, and especially the ways in which students in these lower grades can be unkind to each other. Might spark good discussion, but will also entertain.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 7-year-old daughter loved this book. LAST-BUT-NOT-LEAST LOLA GOING GREEN is a great choice for emerging readers -- those who are ready to tackle easier chapter books. The voice is spot-on for this age group. The character of Lola, her family, her friends and her classmates are all very relatable. Excellent for those kids ready to move on from the Junie B. Jones series. Can't wait for the second title in the series to come out!

[Alana · Rating 5 out of 5]

My eight year old and I really enjoyed this book! She thought Lola was such a fun character and immediately asked if there was another book in the series to read. I found Lola to be an extremely relatable character and think the book is just perfect for a starting-to-read-on-their-own level reader. I also love that there is an environmental lesson to be learned in the story. We're looking forward to more Lola in book #2!

[Dr. Da · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an advanced review copy of "Last But Not Least Lola" and as a former teacher and current educational consultant I am incredibly impressed by the authenticity of the voice and the sensitivity of Lola to all of her life problems! I cannot wait to share this story with the children in the classroom.

[Asrina Maharani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like it, very much!
Story of a school girl with a believable rivalry between girls in a class. Story is written in a simple English suitable for a beginner to read a story with sporadic illustration for the one whom afraid of letter only book ;p

[Paige Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter, age 8, absolutely loved this book! She was able to relate well to the characters and the conflicts within the story. It was both humorous and educational and we are looking forward to future books by this author.

[Juliepooliegraygmail.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know it's a good book when your 8 year old son begs, "just one more chapter mom, pleeeease...!" The author captures the voice of a 2nd grade girl perfectly. The story was very relatable to my son who is looking forward to reading more about Lola's adventures in the future.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was fun and believable. The voice is a bit like Junie B. I think it is a wonderful read aloud for 1st or 2nd graders. It might work as a MHL selection, but I think it is a bit too young.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up an advanced copy and my kids loved it. They laughed through the whole book!! Highly recommend!!

[Erica Fields · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend got an advanced copy of this adorable children's book and my daughter LOVED it!! We read it together and laughed our way through it. I would definitely recommend for ages 6-10.

[Yolanda Ridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://yolandaridge.com/2013/09/03/la...

[Elisha Karr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute chapter book for 2nd graders. I like the friendship message as well as the going green theme.

[Michaela Maccoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lola is adorable -- she's tough and funny. Highly recommended for young readers!

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another series candidate for Junie B. Jones graduates.

[Abigail Mitchell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very good storyline, but not well written at all.

[Stephanie (Gorelenore) Cover2CoverBlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming soon