Summary: Leeva at Last
In Leeva at Last, we meet Leeva, a child who’s been kept indoors and put to work by her famous parents. Her mom is the Mayor, and her dad is the Treasurer. They both only care about fame and money, respectively, but not about their daughter or townspeople. They don’t even send her to school, and Leeva learns new words from a vocabulary section of the newspaper and teaches herself to read. But when Leeva finds her way to the town library one day, her eyes are opened to the world around her, and she finds the answer to a question that’s been on her mind forever: “What are people for?”
The Good
This was quite a delight. It had a very classic feel, reminiscent of stories like Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, without the fantasy element. Leeva is lovable, curious, and such a genuine kid. She’s about 8 or 9 (but isn’t sure how old she is). I loved how much of a safe place the library was for Leeva and enjoyed watching her relationship with the librarians grow over time.
Leeva also encounters an orphaned badger, which she reluctantly takes under her care. The badger adds a ton of comic relief to the story, even when Leeva has to deal with her terribly unkind parents. Leeva eventually undertakes several projects to improve the lives of the librarians and others in their town of Nutsmore.
Ultimately, my only struggle (which was entirely a “me-problem”) with this book was that I couldn’t suspend my disbelief (just as I struggled with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and fantasy-ish stories in general. BUT I still loved the message in this story and I found it utterly charming. I can totally see it being adored by audiences who love books like this.
Overall: Leeva at Last
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.
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