Letters to Leo

by Amy Hest, Julia Denos (Illustrator)

Overview

“Upbeat and chirpy, and decorated with lots of kid-style illustrations, Leo evokes sympathy with a light touch.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

The joys and trials of fourth grade —and of life with her father now that her mother is gone — play out in charming letters from Annie to her dog, Leo. Genuine and funny, Amy Hest’s first-person narration revisits a winning young character as she takes on a new year — and a new dog — with humor, honesty, and resilience.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763671655
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	09/09/2014
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	460L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

 

Editorial Reviews

Annie, first introduced to readers in REMEMBERING MRS. ROSSI (Candlewick, 2007), lives with her dad in New York City and is now in fourth grade. Her new best friend, a floppy-haired puppy named Leo, is helping her cope with schoolwork, an icky boy, and a best friend who is moving away. She writes letters to him, and reads them to him at night...Upbeat and chirpy, and decorated with lots of kid-style illustrations, LETTERS TO LEO evokes empathy with a light touch.
—School Library Journal (starred review)

In Annie, readers will find a perfectly imperfect Model Citizen, a loving daughter and good friend—in other words, someone a lot like them.
—Kirkus Reviews

Hest does a charming job making Annie (and Leo!) come alive through a series of letters and drawings... Ready-made for reluctant readers, who will be enticed by the art-heavy format and the short bursts of text, this book will also be a good choice for fans of Sara Pennypacker’s Clementine series or the Judy Moody books.
—Booklist

Middle graders will enjoy watching Annie grow up as a friend and a daughter.
—The Horn Book

Abundant humorous illustrations and the epistolary format make this an ideal choice for kids just starting to embark on chapter books, and its message of healing is salve for all ages.
—Shelf Awareness

In funny, insightful and charming notes, "Letters to Leo" captures the best and worst of life in the fast lane of elementary school. It's also small enough to sneak into a duffel bag for camp, without the tell-tale book bulge.
—Huffington Post Parents blog

From the Publisher

Gr 2–4—Annie, first introduced to readers in Remembering Mrs. Rossi (Candlewick, 2007), lives with her dad in New York City and is now in fourth grade. Her new best friend, a floppy-haired puppy named Leo, is helping her cope with schoolwork, an icky boy, and a best friend who is moving away. She writes letters to him, and reads them to him at night. Through them, readers learn about her hopes and sorrows, many of which revolve around her widowed father. The epistolary format makes for easily manageable reading segments, good for those kids for whom reading is a struggle. Upbeat and chirpy, and decorated with lots of kid-style illustrations, Leo evokes empathy with a light touch.—Paula Willey, Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, MD

School Library Journal

Annie introduces new dog Leo to the Rossi household in a letter of welcome and decides to keep writing, and reading, secret letters to him. Youngsters who first met Annie in Remembering Mrs. Rossi (2007) will see that she is coming to terms with her mother's death. Episodes throughout her fourth-grade year are recounted in Annie's infectiously exuberant voice. The letters, interspersed with lists, rules, assignments and plenty of pencil drawings and doodles, will keep children, even reluctant readers, eagerly flipping the pages. Resilient Annie finds comfort with Leo: When she snuggles and reads her letters to him, Annie remembers her mother reading to her. Sometimes, in missives sure to have children giggling, Annie has to instruct Leo on how to be a Model Citizen by minding his elevator manners and not stealing slippers. Mostly, she shares her trials, revealing her annoyance with classmate Edward Noble; tribulations, outlining four school catastrophes in one day; and triumphs, expressing her excitement about favorite teacher Miss Meadows coming to visit the Rossis--after all, Annie's father needs a new friend…. With that last tidbit dangling, the author leaves readers begging for another installment about the Rossis. In Annie, readers will find a perfectly imperfect Model Citizen, a loving daughter and good friend--in other words, someone a lot like them. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews