INCREDIBLY PENELOPE

The latest from bestseller Myracle is a story of family, second chances, and being the self you want to be.

Nine-year-old Penelope Goodheart has traveled the world with her single mother, Rose, and her godmother, Queenie Bee, a reality TV star. When her eyes are opened to the unfairness in how the “yummy goodness of the world” is distributed, Penelope decides she wants to start a school for children of all backgrounds, regardless of their ability to pay. But first, she’ll need to fulfill her dream of attending a real school—and Idlewild Academy for Girls, near her mother’s hometown of Savannah, Georgia, fits the bill. There, green-eyed Penelope, who has dark, curly hair, finds potential friends and frenemies among her racially diverse classmates. When Queenie and Rose go missing near Bora Bora, leaving Penelope “an orphan of the state,” holding on to her true self becomes the key to her survival. After her mother’s long-held secret is revealed, readers see the consequences of some decisions adults have made. The omniscient third-person narration uses child-friendly language, and the sprinkling of clues will have savvy readers feeling one step ahead of the characters in solving the mystery of Penelope’s family. Strong descriptions of natural beauty enhance the sense of place.

An accessible exploration of belonging and acceptance with a well-developed setting.