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Monday, May 29, 2023

Blog Tour for LOLO WEAVER SWIMS UPSTREAM by Polly Farquhar + Giveaway

If any knows me, they know that I'm a fan of Ramona Quimby, so I couldn't miss an opportunity to be a host for LOLO WEAVER SWIMS UPSTREAM by Polly Farquhar Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

                                                                About The Book:

Title: LOLO WEAVER SWIMS UPSTREAM

Author: Polly Farquhar

Pub. Date: April 25, 2023

Publisher: Holiday House

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 240

Find it: Goodreadshttps://books2read.com/LOLO-WEAVER-SWIMS-UPSTREAM

"Not since Ramona Quimby has a character marched right out of a book with so much bravado, humor, and heart."--Barbara O'Connor, New York Times bestselling author of Wish

A headstrong girl’s quest to steal back her family’s dog goes awry in this humorous and compassionate novel.

Lolo is stuck in summer school with a teacher who is out to get her while her family is still reeling from her grandfather’s death. Even his dog is mourning, howling outside all night and every night. Finally, lovable old Hank is sent to a farm across the lake that takes foster dogs.

And it’s all Lolo’s fault. 

Lolo knows she has to get Hank back. In a tippy canoe, Lolo crosses the almost-dried-out lake to steal her dog back. But she runs into Noah, a student in her summer school class and Hank's new owner—and he loves Hank as much as she does.

As Lolo’s plan unravels and her uneasy alliance with Noah grows into a friendship, the question of what’s best for Hank becomes muddier. Can Lolo manage to do the right thing—for once? 

Itch author Polly Farquhar returns to Ohio with a tale of a big-hearted girl searching for answers to tough questions in all the wrong places. Fans of Gary Schmidt will love Farquhar’s blend of honesty, humor, and heart.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection


Lolo Weaver Swims Upstream

By Polly Farquhar

 

Excerpt for Rockstar Book Tours

 

Excerpt from Lolo Weaver Swims Upstream / Text copyright © 2023 by Polly Farquhar. Reproduced with permission from Holiday House Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

 

My name is Lolo Weaver. It’s a nickname. Lolo. The summer school teacher would only call me Willow, which is my official name and the one that gets printed up on the class lists, but when she was going around the room and my friend Eddie, whose given name is Eduardo, said, “Call me Eddie,” she made a note in her grade book and always called him Eddie, even when she scolded him. When she got to me, the very last kid on the list, she called out, “Willow Weaver,” and I said, “It’s Lolo,” and she said, “What kind of name is that?”

Every kid looked at me. Most of the kids were ones I’d known my whole life, and a few were from another school in the district, across the lake. The kids I’d known my whole life didn’t know Lolo was a strange name. I didn’t, either.

The teacher said, “That’s like calling you Low-Low with a W.” She lowered her voice when she said it. Low-Low. “It’s a name with low expectations.”

The teacher’s name was Mrs. Cryer, and I thought maybe her name was exactly right since she’d make all her students cry because she was so mean. Not tough, but mean, because there’s a difference. But I wasn’t brave or stupid enough to say that, though I always wished I had. I might as well have, because I was going to get into other kinds of trouble that summer, anyway.

Because it was summer, the building was mostly empty and mostly quiet, but it still smelled like a school—like glue and pizza, and canned peas and dirty feet. The only difference was the hot summer sunshine that shone in, even when the blinds were closed, and how a person can’t just sit inside a classroom without knowing that everyone else was on summer vacation. We were all there because we were the only ones who hadn’t passed the state test.

At least the lake was closed, and at least that wasn’t my fault.

 

 About Polly Farquhar:

Polly Farquhar is the author of Itch. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Ohio State University, and her short stories for grown-ups have been published in literary magazines. She is also the recipient of multiple Individual Artist Grants from the Ohio Arts Council. She resides with her husband and daughters in the Columbus, Ohio area. Originally from upstate New York, her favorite place to canoe is the Adirondacks.

 

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of  LOLO WEAVER SWIMS UPSTREAM, US Only.

Ends June 13th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

5/29/2023

Two Chicks on Books

Excerpt/IG Post

5/29/2023

Log Cabin Library

Excerpt

5/30/2023

YA Books Central

Excerpt/IG Post

5/30/2023

The Momma Spot

Excerpt

5/31/2023

The Chirpy Bookaholic

Excerpt/IG Post

5/31/2023

A Blue Box Full of Books

IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post

6/1/2023

A Dream Within A Dream

Excerpt

6/1/2023

Country Mamas With Kids

Review/IG Post

6/2/2023

@froggyreadteach

IG Review

6/2/2023

Review Thick And Thin

Review/IG Post


7 comments:

  1. This excerpt made me want to read this book because I need to know how and if Lolo learns to stand up for herself, especially with an insensitive teacher.

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  2. I somehow completely missed this book in Holiday House's catalog, but it looks so sweet. I will definitely check it out! Thanks for sharing this, Brenda. :)

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  3. I hadn't seen this book before, but I have seen another of Polly Farquhar's books, Itch, and it seems like she's an MG author to watch! Thanks for sharing this story, Brenda!

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  4. The excerpt convinced me to add this one to my future read list. Lolo makes for a great narrator to the story.Thanks for featuring the book on MMGM this week.

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  5. Enjoyed your review and the excerpt. Sounds like a very well-written book that kids will enjoy. Plus a dog that both kids want! Who wouldn't love that conflict?

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  6. This sounds so, so good. I definitely need to get a copy. Thanks so much for telling me about it.

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  7. I love dogs and I am worried about how this will turn out! SOunds great - I love the opening scene! Thanks for the recommendation!

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