Ella Josephine: Resident in Charge

The Apartment House on Poppy Hill #2

by Nina LaCour, Sònia Albert (illustrator)

The second book in bestselling author Nina LaCour’s delightful chapter book series for young readers.

“LaCour’s … series is cozy and classic-feeling … Ella’s curiosity and gregariousness are infectious, and she’ll easily sweep readers into her charming world.” ―Booklist

Ella and her neighbors on Poppy Hill are back with more mischief and bighearted fun!

The apartment house on Poppy Hill is inhabited by residents who are as much family as they are neighbors. Luckily, nine-year-old Ella is there to help everyone through all their ups and downs. She knows about the glitchy lights, the nighttime noises, the secret spaces, and each neighbor’s hopes and dreams. She even knows the mysterious Robinsons, who live on the top floor and are now her silent partners in making sure that the apartment house is the perfect place to live.

Highlighted by lively illustrations throughout, the second book in the Ella Josephine series by bestselling author Nina LaCour celebrates community, friendship, family, and home. It is a place of noticing the small details that make a difference, keeping surprises secret, and making everyone feel welcome. Here, the eccentric joy of Armistead Maupin’s Tales of The City merges seamlessly with the antic fun of Ivy + Bean, the family tenderness of The Penderwicks, and the madcap adventure of Eloise in an irresistible book that will leave readers eager for the next one!

BEST CHILDREN’S The Apartment House on Poppy Hill, the first book in the series, got lots of love from readers and reviewers who celebrated its charm, diversity, and heartwarming storyline! It was named an Amazon Best Book of the Month and one of the Top 20 Children’s Books (Ages 6-8).

AWARD-WINNING Nina LaCour is a highly acclaimed author of bestselling YA and adult novels. This is her first series for younger readers. The charming characters and their stories were conjured by LaCour and her young daughter during the long walks they took through San Francisco during the early days of Covid-19 and inspired by the people they encountered along the way.
 
HILARIOUSLY Ella is a strong protagonist that readers of all ages and genders will love. She is bighearted, curious, and just a tad mischievous.

DIVERSE CAST OF Featuring many different family structures, this story is wonderfully diverse and inclusive. Any reader can imagine themselves living at 1106 Wildflower Place.

Perfect teachers, and librariansReaders who love Nina LaCour’s books and such bestselling series as Ivy + Bean, Clementine, Judy Moody, and Junie B. JonesGift-givers looking for entertaining chapter books for kids who enjoy stories full of humor and heart

Genres: Childrens

148 pages, Hardcover

First published June 10, 2025

About the author

Nina LaCour is the Michael L. Printz Award-winning and nationally bestselling author of six young adult novels, including Watch Over Me and We Are Okay; the children's book Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle; and Yerba Buena, a novel for adults. She's on faculty at Hamline University's MFA in writing for Children and Young Adults program, and teaches an online class of her own called The Slow Novel Lab. A former indie bookseller and high school English teacher, she lives with her family in San Francisco.

Reviews

[Lyon.Brit.andthebookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhh I was so excited to get an early copy of the new Nina Lacour (Ella Josephine: Resident in Charge) in the Apartment House on Poppy Hill series!!! This series reminds me of books I would search the shelves for when I was discovering chapter books. Classic & Cozy!

It was fun to be back at the quirky apartment building and even more fun to see what the residents were up to! You venture with Ella through 3 short stories helping her neighbors or making new discoveries. I’m looking forward and hoping to see more of Ella and the crew on Poppy Hill!

Thank you Chronicle Books

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[Megan Mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series! I love that we got three little vignettes in this one. They all showed how we show up not only as ourselves, but within our chosen communities. Ugh, so good.

[Deborah]

This is the second book in this series about Ella Josephine who lives in an apartment building at 1106 Wildflower Place. Ella lives with her two moms and they have an eclectic mix of neighbors in the building. The book is divided into 3 separate sections each with a dilemma for Ella to solve. In the first section, Ella helps Cleo with an identity crisis when Cleo, who is new to the neighborhood, is not sure what she should do for a job. In the second section, The Empty Space, Ella and her neighbors decide what to do with an empty room that Ella discovers in the building and everyone has a different idea about how it should be used. In the third section, Ella helps Merland, another neighbor, throw a dinner party when he finds himself unprepared on the day of the party. This book has a great variety of characters and highlights the fact that we are all different and we all have different strengths. Ella models problem solving and working together when things don´t go according to plan. (Ages 6-10)

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ella is focused on being important to all the residents in the apartment building where she lives with her Moms. She begins this one giving a guided tour to the newest residents. The residents are charmingly quirky and all seem to recognize how much heart Ella has and support her in her endeavers. Turns out in the last story of this book, Ella is just as supportive to each of them, as well.

Short stories allow for a change in focus, though the "chapters" are all interconnected. I suspect the first book also connects well to this book. Ella is a sweet character, the book has short chapters and frequent illustrations to support readers.

[Rachel Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ella Josephine is back and as charming as ever!

Ella and her moms live in a cozy and quirky apartment building in San Francisco. She spends her days exploring the building and it's gardens, helping neighbors and resolving matters of community significance. If character-driven plot lines are your jam, you're going to love this middle grade read!

Keep 'em coming, Nina LaCour!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure: I received a copy of Nina LaCour’s chapter book ELLA JOSEPHINE RESIDENT IN CHARGE. Thank you to Chronicle Books and the author for the opportunity to review this charming book.

I must confess I fell in love with illustrator Sònia Albert’s awesome art and dreamy depiction of life at 1106 Wildflower Place.

Kindness, listening, inclusivity, finding your purpose, and working together…so many excellent takeaways from this book.

5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

[Dipali · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute and wholesome!

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, character-driven chapter book about a nine-year-old who discovers something unexpected at her apartment building and fulfills her dream of being in charge of something.

[Dolores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our second visit to the apartment house on Poppy Hill finds Ella Josephine fulfilling a dream--getting to be resident in charge. Such a cute series.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Ella Josephine's new neighbor Cleo is having an identity crisis and it causes Ella to want to help. The discovery of a small empty room initaiates the need for a

[Liz Anderson-Himmelspach · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter loved this book

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Children's realistic fiction, early chapter book level. Ella Josephine lives in an apartment building with her 2 mothers and a mix of neighbors. She takes pride in welcoming new neighbors and bringing everyone together. The book is broken down into three stories, each a few chapters long and partially illustrated. In the first story, Ella helps her new neighbor Cleo, who is having a bit of an identity crisis after losing her job in the move. Then she finds a reason to call for her first ever resident meeting, something that she has always wanted to do. The third story has her helping her neighbor Merland host a dinner party.

This is a cute story about connecting with those around you. There is no mention of school at all, so one can imagine the stories are set in summer. This is book 2 in the series. The characters carry over, but it can be read on its own.

[mikeyandherbooks]

e-arc provided by Netgalley

I don't usually read middle grade but I love Nina LaCour and this was another sweet addition to the series - I'm glad I read this one physically so I could see all of the illustrations - I find this series to be very wholesome and I love seeing an assertive and sweet girl main character in a middle grade