Cilla Lee-Jenkins: This Book Is a Classic

I bought this book for a friend's daughter. I wanted to try out different chapter book series and different authors for young girls. I took a chance without having read more than the excerpts about the main character girl and positive book reviews. My friend let me know her daughter (9 yrs old) ended up reading the first book and loving it. Because she liked it so much, she borrowed the 2nd and 3rd books from the library. I was happy to complete the book set for this girl so she can read them all over again.

I dare you to read this book and not fall in love with Cilla, and her aunt, and her grandma's dog, and really her whole family. what a wonderful book for anyone who's ever been a little girl trying to figure out how to navigate life in a confusing world. Or anyone who has a daughter. Especially if she's multi-racial, but even if she isn't, the playground games and "best friend" controversies felt so familiar, it brought me back to when I was a kid. I laughed, I cried, I can't wait for the next book!

In my (not-so) humble opinion, Cilla belongs with Ramona Quimby as one of the best portrayals of third graders out there. I just adore this early MG series. The second book skips ahead a bit in time so the Blob is now mobile and vocal enough to cause trouble. What I most love are Cilla’s questions, large and small, about the world around her. I love how book two in the series tackles questions of family, tradition, identity, & friendship, against the backdrop of her aunt’s wedding. So many kids will see themselves in Cilla.

My 8 year old daughter enjoyed reading part 1 of this series. However our bookstore never carried the additional parts. So glad we found it on Amazon. My daughter was happy to read more about Celia and her adventures. Looking forward to more series in the story.

This is our current story for bedtime reading. I read a chapter each night to my 12 year old and my 7 year old together, we all enjoy it!

"...I wondered why everything had to be so complicated when it comes to families." The observant, insightful and endearing Cilla Lee-Jenkins is back, and this time she is exploring the Drama and Traditions of families, as well as what it means to have and be a best friend. Cilla's aunt is getting married and there is a ton of work to do, which Cilla mostly loves because it involves beautiful dresses, banquets and, best of all, CAKE. Her sister is crawling now, which keeps everyone on their toes, and Cilla is struggling with feelings of jealousy over her best friend spending time with another girl in their class. The level of drama and humor in this realistic fiction follow-up is perfect for young middle grade readers who will definitely relate to Cilla's everyday struggles. The cast of multicultural characters and Cilla's confusion over her identity make this book feel especially relevant and important.

My daughter (10) is obsessed with Susan Tan's books. She's devoured them both, and is already asking for a third!

This book is exceptionally amazing, quirky, and joyful. I love it very much.