Cilla Lee-Jenkins: Future Author Extraordinaire

Cilla Lee-Jenkins #1

by Susan Tan, Dana Wulfekotte (Illustrations)

Cilla Lee-Jenkins is 50% Chinese, 50% Caucasian, and 100% destined for literary greatness! In this middle grade novel, she shares stories about a new sibling, being biracial, and her destiny as a future author extraordinaire.

“ Heartwarming and poignant! Meeting Cilla felt like making a new best friend. ” ―Grace Lin, bestselling author of Newbery Honor book Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and National Book Award finalist When the Sea Turned to Silver

Priscilla "Cilla" Lee-Jenkins is on a tight deadline. Her baby sister is about to be born, and Cilla needs to become a bestselling author before her family forgets all about her. So she writes about what she knows best―herself! And Cilla has a lot to write How did she deal with being bald until the age of five? How did she overcome her struggles with reading? How do family traditions with Grandma and Granpa Jenkins differ from family traditions with her Chinese grandparents, Nai Nai and Ye Ye?

Written by Susan Tan and illustrated by Dana Wolfekotte, Cilla Future Author Extraordinaire is a novel bursting with love and humor, as told through a bright, irresistible biracial protagonist who will win your heart and make you laugh.

Don't miss the sequel!
Cilla This Book Is a Classic

Praise for Cilla-Lee Future Author Extraordinaire :

"This story has everything. An irresistible voice, a cast of authentic characters, a hilarious and whip-smart heroine. Also . . . some spectacular baldness and TIME TRAVEL! Cilla Lee-Jenkins is brilliant. Her struggles may seem ordinary, but they’re also extraordinary, exquisite, and very very important." ―Kate Beasley, author of Gertie's Leap to Greatness

“Cilla’s empathy, candor, and skill at turning a phrase indicates that her claim to be a future author extraordinaire is completely justified . . . Anyone who spends time with Cilla Lee-Jenkins will look forward to reading her in the future.” ― Booklist , starred review

“[Cilla Lee-Jenkins] is 50% Chinese, 50% Caucasian and I think 100% wonderful . . . I suspect young readers will want to reach into the pages and hug her!” ―Rachel Renee Russell, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dork Diaries , for Omnivoracious.com

“Cilla Lee-Jenkins is the kind of book you can’t wait to share. There’s humor and heartache, and future writers of all kinds will see themselves in Cilla. But above all, this is a book just bursting with love.” ―Kate Milford, New York Times bestselling author of Greenglass House

“I challenge anyone to read this book and not fall in love with Cilla Lee-Jenkins. With the spunk of Ivy and Bean and the heart of Ramona Quimby, she’s a charmer from start to finish of this laugh-out-loud-funny book.” ―I. W. Gregorio, author of None of the Above

“Cilla’s liveliness, vulnerability, and thoughtfulness make her an endearing and entertaining narrator.” ― Horn Book

“Tan, who grew up in a mixed-race family, does a lovely job of showing how Cilla finds joy in both sides of her heritage.” ― Kirkus Reviews

“Tan writes in a fun and spunky voice that brings to mind favorite characters such as Junie B. Jones, Ramona Quimby, and Fancy Nancy but is still all her own . . . Readers will identify with Cilla and wish they were friends with her in real life.” ― School Library Journal

Genres: Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Chapter Books, Family, Humor

272 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 2017

Reviews

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 4 out of 5]

Assigned reading for MLIS 7421: Multicultural Youth Literature.

I don't read a lot of MG contemporary, and especially not books that are on the younger end of the MG age range, but I was assigned to read this one for my class. I probably never would've thought to pick it up otherwise, but I'm so glad I read it, as it was absolutely adorable. Cilla's narrative is hilarious in the way that only the zaniest 8-year-olds can be, and her family and friends are lovable, yet flawed and surprisingly complex characters. The illustrations are precious, and all in all, this was a delightful read.

Underneath the cuteness and humor, there are also some very important discussions, such as the fact that Cilla is constantly being asked "what" she is as a biracial child; she establishes the fact that it hurts her feelings to be prodded and questioned because of her features, which is something that I think not only will biracial children understand, but will also help children who are not biracial empathize with their friends and hopefully avoid asking these same uncomfortable, prying questions.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cilla Lee-Jenkins's smart, self-aware voice will delight you and make you laugh out loud!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ADORABLE stars for the adorable Cilla Lee-Jenkins! What a sweet, fun, laugh-out-loud, heartwarming story! Can’t wait to read more of Cilla’s stories!

[Corabel Shofner · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can you not love a nine-year-old future author extraordinaire? Particularly when she was bald until she was five years old and even more when she must adjust to a brand new sibling known simply as 'the Blob.' Cilla Lee-Jenkins bounds through this book full of energy, navigating school, difficulties in reading, a biracial family. Caucasian mother and Chinese Father. And grandparents with vastly different cultures. This is a big hearted story for all to enjoy.

[Renata · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is soo funny and sweet!! A lovely early chapter book that will entertain and inspire young storytellers, and make kids who get teased by white kids for bringing ~~ethnic food~~ to school feel seen. and hopefully encourage white kids to not be dicks about other culture's foods. Also a great read for currently-only children who are about to become big siblings. just really charming and sensitive!!

[Chessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely adorable, without shying away from the tougher moments of growing up. My heart is full.

[Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly deep and touching. Wish I could give it 4.5 stars!

[Chalida · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book to Rory and she loved it! She wanted me to read it every night and eagerly paid attention to this 235 page + book, despite the fact it had only a few pictures. I wonder how much Rory realized that this book was a true mirror for her-- a biracial girl, part Chinese, part White, a girl who loves books and writing. These books are few and far between, but I love that Susan Tan wrote a mirror for my daughter! We read windows into so many other folks's lives; mirrors are rare. Cilla Lee-Jenkins has some feisty comebacks to microagressions too. "What are you?" "I'm a future author extraordinaire." Tan is empowering young folks to determine for themselves who they want to be.
I feel like the central conflict of the story is one perhaps Susan Tan had to deal with and one I, and many adults, think about a lot--worry about how both sets of grandparents are different and separate and why they won't hang out together. For some reason I wondered if a 9-year-old would feel this stress. But maybe so.
Rory hopes Cilla is a series. Me too.

[Rosalyn Eves · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to read an advanced review copy of Susan Tan's charming debut novel, Cilla Lee-Jenkins: Future Author Extraordinaire. The back blurb compares Cilla to middle-grade greats like Ramona--and she is. Her voice is fresh and deft and funny and the story is both realistic and compulsively readable. This hits the magic spot that all the best middle grade books do, of being both moving and warming at once.

I particularly liked that Cilla's story, as that of a biracial girl (or as her father tells her, 100% Chinese and 100% Caucasian), doesn't shy away from a child's experience of microagressions, but helps readers work through them with Cilla. A great conversation opener with younger children.

[Shenwei · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the cutest. I love it. :')

[Karina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Cilla Lee-Jenkins! This was a sweet and funny book, and I loved all of Cilla's grand plans and her wonderful imagination. And that cover! Just too perfect!

[Felicity · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t always put the books I read out loud to my kids on my own reading lists but this one stands out as a very delightful read. It was a great story, well written, laugh out loud funny, and I loved the way the author didn’t shy away from the tender topics. I’m looking forward to books two and three.

[Megan Mahajan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this book! I have a daughter about Cilla's age and this book brought me to tears more than once. So many times my daughter would whisper, "That's exactly how I feel!" As I read aloud to her. Susan Tan understands the mind of a child Cilla's age and this book was a beautiful reminder to parents of the people our children truly are.

[Debbi Florence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cilla Lee-Jenkins is not overly thrilled she is soon to become a big sister to The Blob (the nickname she gives to her sister after seeing the sonogram). To ensure that her family doesn’t forget about her, Cilla decides to write a story about the one topic she knows best, herself. When Cilla was five years old, a stranger (rudely) asked her what she was. Cilla, who is half Chinese and half Caucasian, didn’t quite understand the question and answered honestly that she was a future author extraordinaire! Cilla is full of honesty, great imagination, and humor as she embarks on her quest while dealing with feelings of jealousy over her soon-to-be sibling. Great to read a story with a POC character!

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was totally cute and charming. I loved Cilla’s observations about her mixed race family, family members and friends. And her imagination and story telling. I particularly liked how she was open about her struggles (bald until 4, reading and dealing with the unborn blob). But she was particularly perceptive as to peoples’ questions (the dreaded, where are you originally from) and how her honest answers. She knew something was off but not what. Anyway, all kids can relate to Cilla’s struggles and story.

[Wendy MacKnight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cilla Lee-Jenkins is a Wonder. Besides being a future author extraordinaire, she is a remarkable storyteller, a good friend, and a struggling big sister to the soon-to-be born Blob. She’s also half-Chinese half-Caucasian, and her stories of being with each set of grandparents are loving and lovely. Tan does a remarkable job of getting in our heroine’s head, and Cilla is so likeable and so spot-on that we love her from page one. A wonderful debut, and I can’t wait for more Cilla!

[Ellie Terry]

Cilla Lee-Jenkins is one of the sweetest characters you will ever meet. You just want to pick her up and squeeze her! I love how the story explores Cilla's feelings with becoming a big sister. And my favorite part was the glossary in the back! I related well to Cilla, because when I was a child, I wanted to be a famous author when I grew up, too.

[Izzy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

my review in 2018:

This book was awesome! I love Percilla! ( Aka Cilla )
I would highly recommend this book for all readers!
(Probably recommend it to girls but I think boys would enjoy it!)
😋

My review in 2020:

Ha. Still a five star, still in my favourites, still love Cilla, she still makes me smile, and she will continue to forever. Love this.

[Jen Petro-Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was pure early middle grade perfection. So endearing and a perfect step up for Clementine fans. I would have read this so many times as a kid.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

really good

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars: Cilla Lee-Jenkins is half Chinese, half Caucasian, and all precociousness. She’s writing a book before her baby sister is born, a book that chronicles her life and shows how special and amazing she is.

This book has a lot to like. Cilla has great relationships with her parents, but the book really highlights her really warm, loving, and supportive relationships with both sets of grandparents. I really loved learning about the food, traditions, and customs of her Chinese grandparents and the way Cilla brings both sets together. I also liked how Cilla deals with being bald until she was five years old. While she does talk about how that made her sad, she and her grandparents find ways to make her feel really special about it. Cilla also has good friends at school and learns to like a classmate who she doesn’t understand at first.

While it was a good book, it wasn’t perfect. Cilla is feeling understandably nervous about her new baby sister, who she only ever calls “the Blob” until the epilogue. She calls her “the Blob” so much that I just started changing it to “the baby” as I read it aloud to my kids. She also talks about how much she doesn’t want or like her baby sister before she comes. While she does eventually grow to like her sister, there’s so much negativity in most of the book that I wouldn’t hand this to a kid who’s about to get a new sibling.

Cilla also encounters some rude comments because of her mixed race (like asking “What are you?”) which at no point does the book try to explain. Cilla’s reaction is like “Huh, that was weird” and the book moves on. A conversation with one of her parents would have been helpful for clarifying the situation.

There were also times where her voice did not at all sound like a second or third grader but like an adult pretending to be a precocious kid. It didn’t always work for me. She also jumps around in the timeline of her life, sometimes in kindergarten, sometimes first grade, sometimes present age, and it got confusing which time period she was talking about.

We liked it but I don’t think it’s a favorite.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cilla Lee-Jenkins will steal your heart! Her voice is irresistible, and her way of looking at the world is infectiously joyful. I adored Cilla's adventures as an author extraordinaire, her budding friendships, and her lovely relationships with each of her family members. And Cilla's earnest questioning of what it means to be both a Lee and a Jenkins, both Chinese and Caucasian, was a breath of fresh air in a market glutted with books in which writing the experience of mixed-race characters is treated like the easy track to diversity, rather than a complex task requiring research all its own. Whiteness, here, is clearly observed to have a culture of its own—one which the book doesn't privilege or value over Chinese-American culture—and this acknowledgment adds richness and depth to Cilla's challenges fitting in among her friends and her family. Cilla's journey to self-understanding and acceptance shines with humor and wit, and while the book doesn't shy away from complexity, it never falls into melancholy or didacticism. I highly recommend this charming story!

[Angela Kidd Shinozaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. So cute for the Clementine crowd. The book resonated with me on many levels: the slightly shy but imaginative young protagonist who wants to be an author when she grows up, the mother who is pregnant, and the child with two backgrounds. Plus I really enjoyed the voice! I look forward to other books in this new series.

[Sarah Krajewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book, but I think my kids loved it even more. What a memorable story! So many kids will be able to relate with Cilla. My own daughter wants to be an “author extraordinaire” now. She has a sign in her room declaring this, as well as a writing desk. We love Cilla, and can’t wait for book 2!

[Susan Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story of Cilla, as she anxiously awaits the arrival of her baby sister while writing her first best-selling book. It also deals with a mixed-race child and her two sets of grandparents from different cultures - but told in an utterly captivating style. (Library)

[Dana Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Cilla Lee-Jenkins: Future Author Extraordinaire is lovely--heartfelt, honest and at moments, laugh-out-loud funny. The relationships, whether with her best friend, grandparents or the Blob, are so real and true to life. Highly recommend!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet story of a half Chinese half Caucasian little girl trying to find her own identity in the midst of mixed traditions and family dynamics! Love that this is a story so many of my students could relate to.

[Megan Sanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO funny and clever.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read Harder Challenge #22: A children’s or middle grade book (not YA) that has won a diversity award since 2009

It's hard to assess children's books, because I'm not a child, nor a parent, nor even a children's librarian. At some point I started relating to the parents in children's books - especially, in this case, because Cilla is the half-Chinese daughter of a white mom and Chinese dad, and I am hoping to be the white mom of a half-Chinese kid at some point in the near-ish future.

Cilla is a delightful character, and I loved the descriptions of her family, especially her four grandparents. It reminded me a lot of Anastasia Krupnik, except that Anastasia got to work out her feelings about her new baby sibling without also having to grapple with rude grownups questioning her racial identity and ignorant kids calling her food gross.

So I can't say for sure whether a child would enjoy this book, but I enjoyed it. Also, the illustrations are adorable.

[Toby Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really really good and exiting and funny