Lou Lou and Pea and the Bicentennial Bonanza

Gr 3–5—Lou Lou and Pea are back again with their second novel, which centers around the Bicentennial Bonanza celebrating their city's 200th birthday—and the festival is in their own neighborhood, El Corazón. The girls are excited to showcase their talents at the event: Lou Lou will bring home-grown honeysuckle, while Pea creates hats. At first, everyone is getting ready for the celebration until the city's mayor must leave suddenly and the vice-mayor, Andy Argyle, is left in charge. Things get sticky when Mr. Argyle uncovers a secret diary belonging to the city's founders. It turns out that the Bonanza should be happening in a different neighborhood. The girls are skeptical and decide to find the truth. Spot art sprinkled around the edges of the pages add visual appeal and will entice young readers transitioning from chapter books. Pea, who is Mexican American, and other characters use Spanish sporadically; a glossary is also included. While this is part of a series, it is not necessary to have read the previous book in order to enjoy this installment.