A review by Emma Streeton
Zola loves living on Boomerang Street with her mum and her Nonna. Every day of the week is an adventure. But Zola has a problem. No matter how much she tries, she can’t keep out of trouble!
From the author of Looking for Alibrandi and the Lumatere Chronicles comes this new series of books to engage and entertain newly independent young readers. There are seven stories in the series, one for every day of the week.
Independent reader
My littlest bookworm read this book independently. She was happy to provide me with her thoughts so that I could write this review. Her enjoyment of What Zola Did On Monday kept her absorbed, so much so that she read it all in one go! Surely this alone is a sign of a good kid’s book?! The simplicity of the text allowed my bookworm to read it all by herself without the need for any assistance. She ballooned with pride. An important confidence booster for any newly autonomous reader, which encourages them to fall further in love with books.
My little reader was quickly able to relate to the main character of Zola, a cheeky, well meaning little girl who finds herself in a bit of mischief every now and then. In this story, Zola gets in trouble when she loses something special belonging to her Nonna. We watch as she works out a plan to remedy what she has done. In doing so she finds a new connection with her Nonna: a shared love of gardening and watching things grow.
Zola’s focus
From listening to my daughter talk about What Zola Did On Monday, it seems there is one key theme Marchetta focuses in on: relationships, most notably the importance of family and community. She highlights how we as adults can encourage community connections for our children by doing things together with people in the extended family and community. Community connections give children a sense of belonging and helps them develop social and other skills. This is precisely what Marchetta shows in this engaging and delightful story.
I interviewed Melina Marchetta several years ago, just in case you’re interested – Editor
Book details
Bookworm rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
ISBN: 9781760895150
Imprint: Puffin (Penguin)
Published: 2020
Format: Paperback, 96 pages
Category: children, multiculturalism
