The Amazing Life of Azaleah Lane by Nikki Shannon Smith was a delightful and relatable read for the budding book lover in your life. Highly recommend.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. The characters are relatable. The story is fun. And, the pictures are adorable. A must read.

I feel like this book tries too hard. It includes all off these disparate elements: mystery, STEM, family issues. And that's just too much for a beginner chapter book. The sentences are short and blunt, the tone simple. That makes it accessible for young readers. The stakes in the mystery are appropriate for a young audience, the solution reasonable. While there aren't a lot of clues, the investigation follows a sensible course.

I really love this chapter book about a little girl solving problems as she goes about her daily life. Her family was realistic and relatable, and Azaleah herself has a terrific voice throughout the book. She feels real emotions and works through typical kid problems (helping a sibling, working on a school project). I loved that she modeled writing a list, putting effort into a project, and that she saw her sister’s missing toy as a mystery to solve! I will happily share this book with my students! The question guide at the end was great too - this would be a good book for first book clubs!

Azaleah is a third-grader who lives in Washington D.C with two sisters (elder one: a middle schooler named Nia and 4-year-old Tianna) along with her parents in a big white-colored house which she calls her White House. She visits a zoo along with her classmates and teachers as a field trip on one Friday and has a class project to complete over the weekend. As she reaches home from school it turns out to be the most occupied and crazy weekend.

This book is great for kids age 4 - 8 years old. The kids who are learning to read or are independent readers will enjoy it a lot. The language is simple and sentences are small.

The author has included a few things which will help the readers learn at a young age:
1. When something doesn't go as per your plan talk three deep breaths instead of getting angry.
2. When you have a lot of things on your plate, prepare a things-to-do list so that we do not forget.
3. We must always help the little ones in our family and take good care of them.

This book has great illustrations and a good story to captivate young minds.
The main character Azaleah Lane is an 8-year-old strong, focused, intelligent and curious girl who loves to solve a mystery. Her family loves her and is proud of her.

When Washington D.C. third-grader Azaleah Lane takes a field trip with her class to the National Zoo, the little girl has such a great time, later she readily jumps at the chance to make a diorama of one of the endangered species her class saw, for extra credit at school. Setting her entire weekend aside to craft her project so she can knock the socks off her teacher and principal, Azaleah's plans hit a snag when her little sister's favorite stuffed animal, comes up missing. As an older sister with a talent for solving mysteries - with her parents busy at their prospective careers, and Azaleah's own older sister too busy rehearsing for her leading role in the school musical - Azaleah has no choice but to investigate, determined to solve the mystery and still finish her diorama ... all by Monday! This first-in-a-series chapter book by the bestselling #OwnVoices writer Nikki Shannon Smith captures well the frustrations of being a middle child - putting up with your younger sibling while rolling your eyes at the antics of your older, supposedly more mature sister. Though I found Azaleah and her family a bit too picture-perfect on the page, it didn't detract from my enjoying the book, which features bright, colorful illustrations and even a good mystery that should keep young readers guessing. 4/5 stars

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

Third grader Azaleah lives in Washington, D.C. area, and is enthralled by the pandas when her class visits the National Zoo. When her teacher offers extra credit for constructing a diorama with the pandas, Azaleah is thrilled, because she enjoys the STEM focus of her school.Her weekend ends up being very busy, with her mother running a local restaurant, her father being a lawyer, and her sister Nia having the leading role in her school's production of The Wis. It doesn't help when her Auntie Sam babysits and her younger sister Tiana's favorite stuffed toy, Greenie, goes missing. Will Azaleah be able to touch base with her best friend Rose, get her work done, and find her sister's toy?

Strengths: This is 112 pages long with bright, happy illustrations. Azaleah is a fun, motivated character who loves her family and wants to do well in school, even if she has trouble managing her time a little bit. I would have adored this when I was in first grade, especially since MY class visited the pandas when they first came to the US. (A long, long time ago!)

Weaknesses: Too young for my students, although the format would work well for many of my lower readers.

What I really think: I would definitely buy for an elementary school, but will pass for middle school.

*thank you to Netgalley, Capstone and Nikki Shannon Smith for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*


3 stars.

Man, am I the odd one out here. I was interested in this because I liked the sound of it and the cover attracted my attention. Unfortunately the story didn't interest me so much. I'd tried reading it from the mind of my inner child, taking it in as she would. I guess it just wasn't for me because clearly this book has been enjoyed by others. 

I do have to add though that the illustrations in here are definitely an easy 5 stars. They are absolutely stunning! The style of the drawings are soft and cozy and the colours are just beautiful. It was because of this that I rounded my star rating from a 2 to a 3. Even if like me, the story isn't as appealing for you, I'm sure you will enjoy just taking the time to look at the drawings. They are worth it.

What a darling chapter book! At the very beginning, we learn about Azaleah and her family. I think this brief introduction is a great idea. It gives the reader the opportunity to learn about the characters in the book ahead of time, and therefore, draws them in and helps to get them invested in the story. Incorporated in the story are facts about the area – Washington, D.C. – as well as information regarding endangered animals. This allows for teachable moments within the story.
The illustrations are colorful and engaging. The writing is descriptive and flows well, thereby keeping the attention of the reader. There are also facts included related to current events. However, this does not detract from the story and instead is incorporated in such a way as to not be overwhelming.
At the end of the book is a glossary. I think this is a great idea. It allows children the opportunity to look up words while reading and determine the meaning. Also included is a series of questions for discussion. This allows for a better understanding of the information contained in the chapter book. This would be a great book for an assignment or for a continuing book club with the final activity being the diorama.
Thank you to NetGalley, Capstone and Nikki Shannon Smith for the opportunity to review this book.

Azaleah loves mysteries and challenges, but when her sister's favorite stuffed animal goes missing the same weekend Azaleah has an extra credit project due, she may have taken on more than she can handle. Nikki Shannon Smith's book is a great find. I work in an urban children's department and I am always looking for early chapter books that will interest our diverse population. Oftentimes POV characters of color deal with heavy topics on prejudice, which definitely is a huge literature need, but young readers also need to see kids who look like them, handling the every day problems all kids face.

I would highly recommend this book for a school or public library collection to build a stronger selection of books with POC protagonists and #ownvoices.

I have a 7 year old daughter and I requested this book mostly for her. We're black and oftentimes our stories are not told and I feel that it's important for her to read books where characters look like her and share the same cultural background.

To put it shortly, we loved this book. The illustrations are that amazing mix of cute and gorgeous and Azaleah is such a brave, smart character. I was reminded of Doc Mcstuffins in a way in fact!

This book wasn't just for my daughter however, it was for me as well I am a huge mystery fan and this mystery was a fun ride to go on and attempt to solve with my daughter Juliet. In the end we both feel that a 5 star rating is exactly what The Amazing Life of Azaleah Lane deserves although we wish we could give so much more.

This is a fantastic book for all children and adults. If you have a little one you'll definitely want to read it with them and dive into the life of the amazing Azaleah Lane :)

Thank you very much to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.