I appreciate books like this one, that are incredibly accessible. The vocabulary is basic without becoming stiff. The plot is relatable to most readers but the specifics are not. Lola's home culture is at odds with her school culture, speaking to a very specific life experience but encouraging empathy in any reader.

4.25. This is a cute story by author Keka Novales who grew up in Guatemala and illustrator Gloria Félix, raised in Mexico.
It is about a girl named Lola who has changed schools in the middle of the school year, saying goodbye to her old connections and learning to adapt and make friends at her new school.

I really liked the format of the book - you are first introduced to the main characters, including Lola, Mama, Dad, Abuelita, and Abuelo and are given some interesting facts about each of them. Then starts the story which features several beautiful illustrations representative of the story, each featuring our main character, Lola. This is followed by both an English and Spanish glossary, questions and writing prompts, a recipe (Abuelita's freshly squeezed Limeade), and author biographies.

My favourite part about the book is how strong Lola's bond is with her family, and in particular, how her mother and abuelita give her strength and knowledge to face challenges at her new school environment. Abuelita is such a wonderful, kind and loving character who shares highly meaningful and impactful advice that I think can be applied in many new environments and situations. I really love the incorporation of Spanish and Guatemalan facts/heritage within the novel and would definitely recommend this to young readers ages 5-7 and for children educators!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

When Lola's place on a waitlist for a new school comes through, she must suddenly embrace lot of changes--learning a new environment, making new friends, and even riding the bus. She is shy and unsure, but with understanding and help from her family she finds the confidence to make a place for herself in her new school.

This is a beginning chapter book for new readers. The chapters are short and there are some illustrations to break up and support the text. Though Lola's cultural heritage is an important part of the story, the majority of her experiences and concerns are universal and will be relatable to kids. That said, this is probably more of a didactic tool than a book one would read for enjoyment. The messages are pretty on the nose and it definitely pushes lessons over an exciting story. Still, as reading practice, or mental preparation for a child about to change schools, this would be a pleasant and effective tool.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

I love the front matter and back matter that include information about Guatemala, a glossary, and some fun bonus information. This is a great early reader chapter book and I wish more series like this existed back when I was in elementary school. I think a lot of young children will identify with Lola's concerns about starting at a new school, eating lunch in front of others, fearing being judged, and so on. These are universal experiences, but I especially love that a traditionally underrepresented background is also being highlighted. I cannot recall very many stories with Guatemalan characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC. All opinions are my own.

One of the best chapter books I have ever read. The emotional depth and character building are perfect and the author managed to keep the voice of the character as the second-grade girl throughout the book.

Highly recommeneded

I was first intrigued by this book since my son is going to a new school this year. I was hoping by reading this it would help him with all the emotions of trying something different. I loved Lola’s story and seeing her change from a caterpillar to a butterfly. Trying new things can be so hard, but she had her family and new friends to help her along the way. One of my favorite parts of the book is the ending questions. I love that the author gave you something to get your child even more involved with. Abuelita’s recipe was a cute edition too. I highly recommend this book for younger kids in school!

This is a beautiful and sweet story. The story revolves our main character Lola when she goes to her new school but isn't sure if she can make friends but with the help & support from her granny she can do anything and the relationship between Lola and her granny is so pure, lovable and heartwarming.

The illustrations of this book was so sweet and in the back there's a Spanish glossary which will help the children to learn some Spanish words just like me 😉.

Thanks to Netgalley and Capstone for giving me this lovely E-ARC.

I loved this book! It is about a little girl called Lola who starts a new school, and of course, she is nervous about it. Her grandmother helps her to feel more secure about it, and she helps her in a lot of ways, such as by giving her good advice, giving her hugs and giving her lovely food. I loved the way she was so wise, and how she helped Lola to feel safe.

As well as the heartwarming story and the beautiful illustrations, the book also has an English and Spanish glossary in it, which is really interesting.

This is a wonderful book, which I recommend highly!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

This is a beautiful novel about the little girl Lola. I love book that teach children about making friends and learning.

Thank you so much to Capstone and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Lola gets accepted into an academy school in the middle of a school year and doesn’t like change at all. Her Abuelita comes from Guatemala to make her transition much easier, giving her the strength she needs to upset used to her new changes.

I really loved that Lola grew through the story, she was really unconfident and really scared to say anything or try anything but then eventually things changed and she could make friends and talk in class and apologise when she’d been wrong.

I adored her family they were all so sweet and caring, her mom just wanted the best education for her and it was a rare opportunity to go to the school. I loved how much they loved and cared for each other, it was honestly really adorable.

This is such a sweet book, that is a great way to help a child moving to a new school, but it’s also just a fun and sweet read. It has really beautiful illustrations that I loved looking at throughout.

This is a short, sweet story about finding friends and learning to find your voice. There is a nice balance between text and illustrations, as well as wonderful representation of Lola's family. Transitional readers who like reading about school life and kids like them will enjoy this book.

I found this to a be a cute book, this is the type of book I wish I had accessible to me in first or second grade school. This book is very much appropriate for elementary school readers.

Lola has the opportunity to go to a presumably private school, just like her mom did when she was her age. The only hiccup is that Lola does NOT like change. She is not looking forward to the new faces and environment. Her Abuelita comes from Guatemala and helps Lola’s adjustment run smoother than it would have otherwise. Lola struggles with making new friends, standing up to the bus bully, accepting what makes her different, and more!


I like that this book has character introductions at the beginning, as well as a glossary of Spanish words and words that may be too hard for some of the younger audience to understand. There is also a recipe at the end of the book. The book also includes good discussion questions. I can definitely see this being a book that is taught in the classrooms.

Lola and The New School depicts the dynamics of a Latinx family very well. The multigenerational relationship is clear in this book.

The illustrations are perfect - shout out to Gloria Félix! I really enjoyed them and honestly, some of them transported me back to a simpler time in my life.


I don’t currently have any friends or family with children that have learned to read, but if I did, I’d definitely gift this book to that little one. The book is geared more towards girls than it is boys, but the themes and lessons are not gender-specific.


Rating: 4/5

Read it with my younger sister who wishes to learn Spanish so the Spanish glossary was helpful and exciting for her.
Great book for kids about change and making friends.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange of my honest opinion.

Lola Lopez is about to start in a new school. She doesn’t know anyone, or where her classroom is, or even who her teacher is. She is anxious and a bit worried. But her family always have her back.

When people migrate and leave their country behind, family becomes everything for you. That’s the situation with Lola’s Guatemalan family! They not only help her through this new adventure, but also support her, love her and show her that they will always be there for her no matter what!

A lovely, adorable tale about how important family is that will melt your heart and make you want to hug your family, especially your Abuelita!

In a World where you can be anything, choose to be kind.

This was such a cute chapter book! Lola just got into a prestigious private school, and while her mother is excited, Lola hates change! Luckily, Lola's Abuelita flies up from Guatemala to give Lola the emotional support she needs.

I really loved the details of Lola's life, and the book's message. Through Abuelita's gentle urging, Lola learns how to face bullies with kindness, and to embrace second chances. I'm interested to see more of Lola's other family members in future books.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

A great book for middle-grade readers. This book introduces the reader to Lola, starting with facts about her family, and Guatemala. This would be a helpful book for a child starting a new school, and helping them to dispel that fear by reading about another child getting through it! I really loved Abuelita's character, and how she instilled confidence in Lola. The glossary of larger words and their meanings and the Spanish glossary were very helpful and another learning opportunity for the reader.

This is such a sweet beginner chapter book! I love the Central American representation and heritage throughout the book. This is a relatable book for so many children! I will be adding this one to my third grade classroom library!

I received a complimentary copy and all opinions expressed are entirely my own

Lola and the new school tells the story of Lola .Lola is an energetic lovely girl that begins school at a new school. We follow her as she navigates new friendships , relationships and family. I enjoyed it and highly recommend it. I loved how the book was rich on culture and history and the illustrations were well done.

This chapter book follows 2nd grader Lola Lopes Cruz when she suddenly transfers to a new school midway through the school year. Because going to a new school can seem scary at any age, Lola’s fears and reactions are incredibly relatable. Thankfully, Lola’s sweet grandma from Guatemala comes for visit just in time to help guide Lola through this big change.

I found the story to be inspiring for young readers while also incorporating the effectiveness of following advice from elders. The beautiful and vibrant illustrations were meaningful to the storyline. I enjoyed how much of Lola’s Latin American culture was represented throughout the book – especially the part where Abuelita grabbed her rosary, lit a candle, and started praying, because Lola needed all the help she could get on her first day at the new school.

Although Lola’s first few days are rough, Lola opens up to her grandma and is given sage advice on how to overcome her difficulties. Lola reminded herself frequently of what Abuelita had told her to do, and she was thriving by the end of the story.

The English and Spanish glossaries (along with a pronunciation guide) included in the back of the book were incredibly helpful. I would love to see more books include these helpful tools for younger readers – especially when learning words in a foreign language. Also, the recipe for Abuelita’s Limade was such a sweet touch! I would love to see more books in this series.

I just finished reading this 64 page early chapterbook called Lola and the New School from the Hola Lola series written by Keka Novales and illustrated by Gloria Felix. The book is divided into 10 short chapters and there are nice colourful, detailed pictures approximately every 2-3 pages. The story focuses on Lola's first few days at a new private school, navigating making friends, finding her way around the school and bus and being brave. The book is very positive but demonstrates real problems and how children can face them and learn from their experiences. The story definitely values family and extended family, as well as Spanish language and culture.

The book includes an English and Spanish glossary with phonetics for pronunciation, as well as discussion questions, writing prompts, and a recipe for lemonade. This short novel demonstrates the importance of diverse books and would make a perfect addition to any early elementary class. I will definitely be purchasing this series to put in my Grade 3 class library in the future!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this great book! I love the opportunities I receive as a reviewer for Netgalley because there are so many great books to discover and my students will definitely benefit from this great find!