The Apartment House on Poppy Hill
By Carrie Kingsley,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Kind, lively girl with quirky neighbors in fun chapter book.
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What's the Story?
In THE APARTMENT HOUSE ON POPPY HILL, Ella spots new neighbors parking a moving van and while she's trying to tell them about the trick to getting their oven to work all they want to do is get their sofa inside. Ella, who has lived in the house for her entire nine years, has a lot to share with her neighbors. These new people don't seem to understand her the way that others in the building do, but she hopes that soon she'll be able to give them a proper tour of the place and introduce them to their friendly but offbeat neighbors.
Is It Any Good?
Sincere, chatty Ella is a delightful apartment friend and neighbor navigator in this fun, whimsical, thoroughly enjoyable story that's a perfect fit for readers new to chapter books. The Apartment House on Poppy Hill shows the positive impact of Ella's desire to be helpful and to appreciate what makes every person unique. The characters get more layered as Ella explains the intricacies of life at Poppy Hill, and readers get the feeling that Ella and her neighbors are much more complex than they first seem. This is a great read-aloud story and can prompt conversations about neighborhoods and community.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what makes their own home or area unique, like Ella shares in The Apartment House on Poppy Hill. What would you share with people moving in?
Who are you curious about in your own neighborhood? How can you learn more about them?
What other books about neighborhoods have you enjoyed? What makes a good neighborhood?
Book Details
- Author: Nina LaCour
- Illustrator: Sonia Albert
- Genre: Friendship
- Topics: Friendship
- Character Strengths: Curiosity
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Chronicle Books
- Publication date: November 7, 2023
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 7 - 10
- Number of pages: 132
- Available on: Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: November 10, 2023
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