Description
The second book in the humorous, heart felt, highly illustrated series about a girl who doodles to cope with her anxiety, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Sara Shepard.
Halfway through the fifth grade, Penny Lowry is discovering that things are actually going . . . okay! With her friends Maria, Kristian, and Rocco on her side, and her lovable dog Cosmo, she can make it through anything. And when her anxiety comes back, there's always her doodling, or talking to Mrs. Hines, the Feelings Teacher. But big change is around the corner - Penny's family is moving to a new house, her mom is about to give birth to twins,and most stressful of all, she's been tapped for a role in her class play!
Rolling with life's surprises isn't Penny's strength. But she's learning . . . one doodle at atime!
Review
This follows on from our introduction to Penny in the first title, Penny Draws a Friend, which was included in our May Standing Order. In Penny Draws a School Play we follow more of Penny's journey as she learns to cope with her anxiety and the ups and downs of life.
Just as Penny thinks that life is now going ok after all the dramas with her best friend Violet, it turns out she is going to need all the coping skills that she has learnt to get through the challenges being quickly thrown at her now!
Moving from the house she loves, having a new teacher at school, the school play where everyone must participate, her mum being pre-occupied awaiting the birth of the twins, plus the drama of her new friend Chloe being a sworn enemy of her friend Maria. There is a lot going on in Penny's life!
Plus there is the ever present drama queen Riley... But is there more to her than she lets on?
Penny is a wonderful character trying to see life differently. She is trying to cope with her anxiety as best she can, but can she really get on stage for the school play?
This is a fantastic story about navigating friendships, old and new, family dynamics and ultimately, believing in yourself. This is a great read for those in upper primary.
Reviewed by Sam
