This was a very cute story about Leva who has parents that don’t really care about her and she befriends people around her. This reminded me somewhat of Matilda.

Will be recommending this for elementary school Battle of the Books.
Leeva at Last features a likeable main character with pretty unlikeable parents. Leeva discovers the joy of reading when a sympathetic librarian keeps her supplied with books even though her parents forbid her from leaving the house. Leeva is a problem solver and comes up with unique and creative solutions to the dilemmas she faces.

I adore Sara Pennypacker's books. I've reread several with my kid. This just didn't strike the same chord. I'm not sure if just prefers animal protagonists or we've been spoiled by the other book, so this one didn't measure up?

Very much reminiscent of Matilda, smart young girl finds her own people, spreads kindness. and creates her own family.

I didn't know that I needed a book with cartoonishly awful parents. Think shades of Matilda. 100 million stars.

Ⓑⓞⓞⓚ Ⓡⓔⓥⓘⓔⓦ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

QOTD: Do you like children’s books that delve into real-life issues that can lead to discussions?

AOTD: I do! As a retired elementary teacher, I love books like this. Leeva at Last is chuck full of topics. ⬇️

𝕃𝕖𝕖𝕧𝕒 𝕒𝕥 𝕃𝕒𝕤𝕥
𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗣𝗲𝗻𝗻𝘆𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿
Children’s Books
320 pages

Sʜᴏᴿᴛ Sʏɴᴏᴘsɪs

Leeva has less than desirable parents. She doesn’t attend school and isn’t allowed to leave home. When she starts sneaking out, life gets interesting.

Mʸ Tᴴᴼᵁᴳᴴᵀs

Although humorous, this book also shines light on some of the characters’ issues. This could lead to some great discussions with your child or classroom.

This story hits on friendship, fear, kindness, doing the right thing, caring about others, kindness to animals, feeling like a letdown to your parents, considering friends your family, and moving beyond fear.

Leeva’s connections started at the library. It is a focus point of the story. She makes friends, learns through reading, meets new people, and tries new foods throughout her journey.

I will leave you with a quote. “Leeva walked back to her house pondering life. One minute you’re weeping in the mud under a pricked bush, the next you’re someone’s dear, with a brand-new comb.”

That’s life, right? It is full of ups and downs.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing this ebook for me to read and review.

Leeva is a plucky heroine, who is empathetic, despite her horrid parents. Will most certainly be compared to Roald Dahl's MATILDA, though LEEVA AT LAST doesn't contain problematic parts.

I love this story. I've been listening to the audio and reading the text. Both are amazing. I've already added this to my summer reading suggestions. I love Leeva and the interesting cast of characters created by Sara Pennypacker, but then Clementine is an all-time favorite character in my book. I will also be suggesting it as a read aloud for next year for teachers.

It is inevitable that this book will be compared to Matilda. The two books share the same bones, afterall. Both Matilda and Leeva are bright young girls, largely self-sufficient, who are caring and compassionate in spite of their terrible parents. Their encounters with kind townspeople allow them to bloom into more complete members of society. Pennypacker gives us a very different set of details than Dahl did and they work together just as well. At turns funny and charming, this is a pleasant read that may fit the modern sensibility a bit better than some of Roald Dahl's more dated ideas.

"Leeva at Last" by Sara Pennypacker gave me a lot of "Matilda" feels as I read through it. It did not have that "original" feel that I like to have when I'm reading great kid's literature, but it was an enjoyable story.

There is a particular genre of children's books that is amorphous and genreless and sort of just "a children's book." This book is one of those. It just feels like a children's book. A good old children's book with kind and clever children, helpful adults, and some villainous parents. Oops. That's just Matilda. This book is just Matilda. Updated for a new generation. With charming illustrations from Matthew Cordell. Delightful and enjoyable and a for-sure recommendation. But, it's just Matilda.

First of all, I love this book! A fun and quirky middle grade (aka 4th-6th grade) read! Leeva at Last felt like an modern Matilda. A touch of family tragedy, quirky characters (love the librarian), and friendships built.. Leeva helps her friends overcome challenges (OCD and stage fright) and makes modern day classic book references (that will hopefully interest kids in reading those books as well). Loved this book!

My favorite quote was: “Talking about books you’ve both read was liking talking about people you both knew, things you’ve both done.”

I received an ARC from NetGalley. Thank you for the great read!

I wasn’t thrilled with this story. I could see how a child may possibly enjoy it, but there was too many illogical things going on. I also felt the characters were a little…shallow? They weren’t created with any clarity or worth.

1. Parents searching for fame and fortune. 2.Being isolated and dominated by her parents rules for the first 8/9 years of your life. 3. Learning that there is a world outside her house and yard. That is Leeva's existence at the opening of this book. When posed with the question, "What are people for?" Leeva sets out to find the answer. First stop, THE LIBRARY! YEAH! Readers will cheer Leeva on as she meets people and animals that help her find her way. Suspend reality, enjoy the community that embraces Leeva and Bob, and learn what people are for.

When I saw that there was a new book from Sara Pennypacker I was really excited to dive in. Leeva at Last is about a very bright little girl with horribly wicked and neglectful parents ( visions of Matilda). Leeva is left alone to care for the house and her parents. When she accidentally learns that there is a school in their town and that she could and should be going her parents shut down the idea and challenge her to find out what people are for! Leeva's quest begins - she ventures out of her backyard and into the big wide world. The people she meets open her eyes to friendship and compassion - something she has only seen on her TV shows. The only perplexing issue for me as a reader of children's literature is the over the top cruelty and abuse by the parents. I had to keep reminding myself that it is all in the spirit of creating characters who embody the characteristics of dysfunction to highlight the need for change while focusing not on the negative situations but rather the strength and positive mindset that is needed to change a situation. Leeva does show strength and there are humorous events and interesting characters in the community that help Leeva find her way. Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

In her own way, what Leeva Spayce Thornblossom is asking is the age-old question: What is the meaning of life? And Leeva receives these unsatisfying answers from her parents: fame and/or money. Leeva realizes that those answers are wrong, but what’s the correct one? As she meets the residents of her town of Nutsmore, Leeva finds out. Or rather, she probably does. Try as I might, I couldn’t make myself finish this book.

It’s apparent that author Sara Pennypacker envisioned this as a Roald Dahl-like book, with cruel, self-centered parents and an intrepid, spunky child despite the odds. Instead, it reads like an over-the-top wannabe. Roald Dahl could get away with that, but mere humans cannot. Some kids might well like this book, but it’s not one for the ages — or adults — the way the best children’s books are.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books and Balzer + Bray in exchange for an honest review.

Horrible parents, a caring librarian, a remarkable young girl -- this book has solid Matilda vibes. Leeva's parents are corrupt local politicians who treat her as an employee and don't allow her to leave the house. When she decides to push through the hedge to explore the building next door, her life opens up in unexpected ways. Like Matilda, Leeva's story focuses on human kindness and connection, and readers of all ages will love the delicious dose of karma that results in every character getting exactly what they deserve.

It felt like I was reading Roald Dahl's Matilda for the first time! Likeable Leeva learns to stand on her own and forges meaningful relationships along the way.

Leeva at Last left me a bit torn. It is an absurdist book recommended for grades 3-7, and that age group is probably old enough to recognize the absurdity and improbability of Leeva's living situation. Somehow, books like Pippi Longstocking (I'm showing my age!) never seemed disturbing, as Pippi had no nasty parents and was exuberantly happy. I'm not entirely sure about Leeva, though. I, myself, felt uncomfortable and unhappy reading about the way her parents treated her. There is no physical abuse, but the emotional abuse was extreme. They ignored her and told her they did not want her. In addition, they made Leeva do all the cooking and housework and do math calculations for her father, the town treasurer. They also kept track of every penny spent on her, which was very little, so that she could pay it back when she was old enough to get a job. This horrible pair didn't even allow Leeva to attend school because, as her mother said, the school only taught "Human Inanities ."Despite this, Leeva, a brilliant girl, had taught herself to read and to do math.
By chapter 5, when Leeva disobeys her Employee Handbook and leaves her property, things begin to look up, and Leeva is exposed to the wondrous world of books and people. The rest of the book is inventive and hilarious, and the reader cheers for each of Leeva's discoveries. Her quest is to discover what people are for, and she learns many reasons during her days out of the house. Despite the uneasy feelings I had at the beginning of the book, I loved the rest. I would urge parents of sensitive children to discuss Leeva's parents and the author's intent to make them ludicrous rather than abusive. Following that, enjoy the fun as the absurdity becomes playful, and Leeva's life rapidly becomes happier as she discovers that people are for many things, including love.
Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins Children's Books and Balzer & Bray for the ARC of this book.

I agree with all the prior reviews that Leeva is very much a modern retelling on Matilda. I would absolutely read Matilda first with my students and then company and contrast the story to Leeva.