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Very good MG with some tough stuff. I came close to crying several times. Hercules has a school assignment to recreate the Twelve Labors of the mythical Hercules. It‘s a challenge, but it makes Herc learn about himself and how to process losing his parents. TW for death of parents and harm to animals (not by humans, all natural, but nature is kind of a bitch in this case).

Middle grade fiction. Excellent characters. Several difficult and/or very tragic events were a little too much for me. Very good audio narration.

A young boy named Hercules is given a Herculean task as homework. As he works to complete his daunting assignment, he befriends neighbors and classmates and begins to come to terms with the horrid tragedy which changed his life. Friendship and responsibility and grief are major themes. I will enjoy recommending this.

I enjoyed this journey so much! The classical mythology tie-ins were perfect; it was so much fun to see how events in our Hercules‘ life mirrored ancient Hercules‘ labors. The growth between Achilles and Hercules, and Viola and Hercules, and really between Hercules and every other neighbor, teacher, random person he encountered were beautiful and really showed how a community can come together to care for a child or family who needs it. I love it.

Happy sigh. That‘s the sound of me finishing this middle-reader book by an author I have come to respect for his emotional sensitivity. As in his past books, he deals deftly with life challenges, a strong teacher figure, and the importance of community. This was a beautiful and sensitive story and you can only cheer on the protagonist as he grows throughout an incredibly difficult time in his life. I absolutely loved this.

Lou would be a great book to read to children for a silly morning meeting read that also has an underlying important lesson. It could also be used for an older student who may be struggling with their sense of self.

Lou by Breanna Carzoo is a silly book about a fire hydrant named Lou, Lou worries that all they are meant for is being used as a toilet but they know they are meant for more. This book helps readers visually follow the story by the composition of the different shapes and colors. The illustrations look as if someone used construction paper to illustrate the book. It gives the book a unique and engaging design that would appeal to young readers.

This book was written a while ago but when I picked it up in the library it seemed like so much fun I had to give it a shot! And I‘m happy I did, because I loved it 😊! Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
I highly recommend it if you like countryside magical witchy themes 🌿✨🌸
My full review and suggestions for similar books are here: https://newkidonthebookreviews.wordpress.com/2023/08/24/review-the-magical-misad... 💫