PreS-Gr. 2. Readers familiar with Child's I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato (2000) and I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed (2001) will know that Lola has some fiercely held opinions, and that older brother Charlie has a way of coaxing her around to his point of view. In this case, the controversial topic is whether Lola will give formal education a try. The tousled youngster states her case with her usual Eloise-like panache: "I probably do not have time to go to school. I am too extremely busy doing important things at home." Charlie counters by pointing out the equally important things to be done at school, but in the end, his most successful ploy is an indirect one: Soren Lorenson, Lola's imaginary friend, may need moral support. The brother-sister dynamic here may be atypically sunny, but parents will certainly appreciate the siblings' tender, supportive relationship, and children will respond to the wild typography, colors, and patterns of Child's distinctive mixed-media artwork. Jennifer Mattson

Lola, Charlie's little sister, doesn't think she needs to go to school because she already knows everything she needs to know. Charlie is trying to convince/persuade her to go. He's not having the best of luck until he mentions her imaginary friend, Soren, and how nervous he is going to be at school without her. She decides to go to be a support for him. She shares her true feelings on the way to school by passing them off on Soren. She says, 'Soren is feeling wobbly, worried, and not so well', when really these are her feelings. She ends up having a great time at school and even meets a friend.

Charlie and Lola are family tv favorites. I was nervous that the sweetness and whimsy would not carry over to the book. Worried over nothing -- this book is beautifully done. The story is well crafted. The layout makes it a fun read. ( )

Lola finds all kinds of reasons why she doesn't need to go to school -- until her older brother Charlie points out that Lola's secret invisible friend Soren Lorensen will be going to school and wonders what Soren will do when he can't sit next to Lola. That convinces Lola that she will have to go too -- and she does. ( )

I am also too small for school... ( )