  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 02/01/2018 Gr 3–5—Cilla Lee-Jenkins is back. The spunky protagonist readers first met in Cilla-Lee Jenkins: Future Author Extraordinaire is now writing "a classic" with a focus on family traditions. Cilla, who is biracial, Chinese and White, is now in the third grade, and Gwendolyn, her baby sister whose arrival Cilla was dreading in the first book, is beginning to crawl. Cilla is an observant child which is an important quality for an aspiring author. She recognizes and is curious about the differences between her Chinese American grandparents and her White grandparents, and she wonders about her place in a biracial family. While Cilla is trying to understand how families work, she's increasingly jealous that her "best best friend," Colleen, is beginning to share jokes and playdates with another classmate. Cilla loves the traditions she shares with Colleen, but she experiences a few bumps and bruises on the path to learning that it's possible to welcome new friends. The most important event of Cilla's third grade year is her Auntie Eva's upcoming wedding, a celebration that gives Cilla many opportunities to explore traditions and adventure. Cilla loves her aunt and is committed to being a "perfect flower girl" at the wedding, but, as she learns, weddings are also the perfect settings for drama. Cilla's year is full of lessons about family and friendship, and Tan successfully gets into the head of an inquisitive and exuberant young girl. Wulfekotte's gentle line drawings enhance a jubilant story that will leave young readers wanting to hear more about Cilla's adventures. VERDICT A strong choice for most collections.—Shelley Sommer, Inly School, Scituate, MA - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 05/01/2018 When we last saw third-grader Cilla Lee-Jenkins, she was finishing off her memoir. Now, she wants to write a “Classic.” And, as she informs readers in her exuberant, confident voice, Classics are the most “Traditional” kind of books there are—and so this new offering will be full of Traditions. There’s plenty of material available to Cilla, since both sides of her family—her mother’s Caucasian and her father’s Chinese—have lots of traditions. With humor, but also insight, Cilla writes about how families meld and sometimes clash. The book’s centerpiece, the wedding of Cilla’s beloved Aunt Eva, serves as a through line for these issues. There are a few familiar tropes, especially Cilla’s worries about her best friend branching out, and dealing with a baby sister; but, for the most part, this is fresh and funny. Expect to see more of Cilla. - Copyright 2018 Booklist. Loading...
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