Starred Review Not many kids begin school in fifth grade, and Emma's first week starts out pretty rocky. Though she had enjoyed homeschooling along with her older brother, he went off to high school last year. Now, for Emma, making friends is more difficult than expected. She gets along well with Jack, a boy with autism, but she notices that other classmates keep him at a distance, and worries that befriending him may isolate her from them. Woven through the narrative are scenes with Lapi, a pet rabbit that she helped rescue but may have to give up, and brief tales that Emma's Quebecois grandfather used to tell about Monsieur Lapin, a mischievous cottontail rabbit. The many strands of Emma's story, shaped by her self-reflection, courage, and kindness, converge in the satisfying conclusion. Lord, who wrote the Newbery Honor Book Rules (2006), uses clear, straightforward sentences to relate experiences in ways that speak directly to children. An author's note discusses the sources of certain story elements. From Emma's relationship with her brother to her insecurities about attending school to her procrastination in calling a family that's lost a rabbit, her emotions are mixed but layered and evident to readers. A heartfelt chapter book with broad appeal.

A young girl learns about honesty, integrity, and friendship when she finds a lost rabbit and starts school for the first time. Home-schooled by her mother, young Emma is very close to her parents and brother. She has beautiful memories of visiting her grandparents (now deceased) across the border in Quebec, where she learned about French-Canadian farming culture. Mémère taught her to bake, while Pépère told her stories about Monsieur Lapin, the rabbit, and all his woodland friends. But now Emma's life is changing. Her older brother, Owen, was her constant companion until he started high school and built a social life all his own. Lonely and hoping to make a friend, Emma decides to quit home schooling and enter the fifth grade at Lakeview Elementary. The night before she embarks on her first class, she accompanies her game-warden father on a call, and they find a pet bunny stuck in a fence. Mischievous Lapi—named for Pépère's stories—will offer both challenges and lessons to Emma as she navigates her new school and the politics of making friends with an unpopular boy. The beauty in Lord's tale of finding home in a new community is the way Emma's grandfather reaches her with his stories of magic even after he is gone, teaching her important lessons about following through on one's promises. Emma and her family are white, their Franco-American heritage a rarity in children's literature.Delightful. (Fiction. 8-12)

Homeschooled Emma is nervous the night before starting fifth grade at a traditional school, but the lost domesticated rabbit she and her father rescue is a good distraction. Her first day goes badly; complicating matters is Jack, a special needs boy in her class. Emma's anxiety about social dynamics and her close relationships with family members are well drawn. Facts about pet rabbits divide chapters and imply broader meanings to contemplate.

A young girl learns about honesty, integrity, and friendship when she finds a lost rabbit and starts school for the first time. Home-schooled by her mother, young Emma is very close to her parents and brother. She has beautiful memories of visiting her grandparents (now deceased) across the border in Quebec, where she learned about French-Canadian farming culture. Mémère taught her to bake, while Pépère told her stories about Monsieur Lapin, the rabbit, and all his woodland friends. But now Emma's life is changing. Her older brother, Owen, was her constant companion until he started high school and built a social life all his own. Lonely and hoping to make a friend, Emma decides to quit home schooling and enter the fifth grade at Lakeview Elementary. The night before she embarks on her first class, she accompanies her game-warden father on a call, and they find a pet bunny stuck in a fence. Mischievous Lapi—named for Pépère's stories—will offer both challenges and lessons to Emma as she navigates her new school and the politics of making friends with an unpopular boy. The beauty in Lord's tale of finding home in a new community is the way Emma's grandfather reaches her with his stories of magic even after he is gone, teaching her important lessons about following through on one's promises. Emma and her family are white, their Franco-American heritage a rarity in children's literature.Delightful. (Fiction. 8-12)

-Anything is possible with rabbits,- Emma muses presciently as she and her game warden father rescue a distressed rabbit that she-s allowed to keep. But it-s the bunny that rescues Emma, who-s beginning fifth grade at a Maine public school after being homeschooled. She-s worried that no one there will need a new friend, and Owen, her older brother and soulmate, exacerbates things by becoming preoccupied with his new friends. In a characteristically articulate observation, Emma notes, -I-d been carrying a hole inside me since Owen went off to school last year and this little rabbit had jumped right into that hole and made himself at home.- Her new pet (Lapi, short for Monsieur Lapin, a character from tales her beloved late grandfather shared) also fills an emotional void when her friend-making gets off to a slow start-and then helps her connect with classmates, primarily a boy who seems to be on the autism spectrum, as she learns the rewards of patience and understanding the perspectives of others. Newbery Honor author Lord (Rules) offers a note detailing her personal inspirations for this insightful story-lucidly written from the heart. Ages 8-12. (Mar.)