Lola Gillette and the Summer of Second Chances
Coming 3/3/26
Now available for pre-order wherever books are sold!
“After getting busted for stealing, thirteen-year-old Lola Gillette is sent to spend August with her quirky Uncle Milo and, hopefully, avoid a one-way ticket to the “bad girls” boarding school in the fall. Struggling with unresolved guilt over her twin sister’s death, bad decisions that keep following her, and difficulty fitting in and making friends, Lola knows she needs a bit of magic and hopes completing her “Collection of Perfect Pairs” will help her out of this sticky situation. But when she realizes her uncle is struggling, too, and also has a lot to lose, Lola’s perspective shifts, and she crafts a new plan, hoping to get them both back on track. Author Kimberly Kenna’s heartfelt, authentic story speaks to the tough stuff of adolescence, and Lola Gillette and the Summer of Second Chances is sure to empower young readers to believe in the power of magic and in the strength they hold inside…to change their own lives and the lives of those around them.”
– E.C. Quinn, author of Premonition: The Gift
“Thirteen-year-old Lola, caught stealing, is banished to her eccentric uncle’s dilapidated mansion in Connecticut. She’s grieving the loss of her twin who’s still her bestie. He’s still mourning his beloved wife that keeps him housebound. With friends and community help, their shared grief results in a summer of East-meets-West gardening that overcomes their personal demons. Cats, yellow roses, long-lost sketches, and even a wolf all play a role in a place where “First things first. Protect the land.” Author Kenna’s new novel is another winner with perfect middle-grade voice, angst, and strength.”
– Lee Y. Miao, author of Take a Shot, Kipp
“Marvelously mystical, delightfully quirky, and satisfyingly tenderhearted. Lola Gillette is sure to immerse tweens and young teens in this magical, uplifting story about the healing power of connection.”
– R.B. Shifman, author of Paper Airplane, Broken Bones
“Kimberly Behre Kenna has once again created an irresistible brave girl middle-grade readers will cheer for and love.”
– Ona Gritz, author of The Space You Left Behind and Take a Sad Song
“Kenna’s compelling middle grade tale, woven with mysterious magic, is about a young girl and her uncle, both shattered by their grief, who learn the redemptive power of community and family. Hopeful and absorbing, it's sure to resonate deeply with young readers.”
– Laura Segal Stegman, middle grade author, Summer of L.U.C.K. trilogy
“Kimberly Behre Kenna drew me in right away, piquing my interest with spunky thirteen-year-old Lola and her uncle’s old mansion over the Connecticut River where she’s ‘locked down’ for the summer…The hair-raising touches of magic and vivid descriptions really bring things to life on the page.”
– Julie Swanson, author of North of Tomboy and Going for the Record
“…a perfect addition to Kimberly Behre Kenna’s Brave Girls Story Collection. Like Artemis and Jett before her, Lola is a smart, resourceful character who is trying to make sense of her world and is willing to stand up for herself and others along the way.”
– Linda B. Davis, award-winning author of Food Fight
“In Lola Gillette, Kenna gives an authentic voice to a young adolescent struggling to come to terms with a tragedy and whether that tragedy will define her.”
– Eva Silverfine, YA author of Ephemeral Wings
“Lola Gillette and the Summer of Second Chances continues Kimberly Behre Kenna’s soul-mending Brave Girl series with another story of deep healing and hope...I loved Lola and I love this universe of stories...about girls finding their way out of dark places to claim themselves...A beautifully written tale of transformation and self-discovery."
– Laurie Beth Schneider, author of Gittel
More Info
Lola Gillette and the Summer of Second Chances (02/26/26) is the third book in the Brave Girl Collection.
Published by Willow River Press
Part of the proceeds will benefit Cove Center for Grieving Children and Gillette Castle State Park in East Haddam, CT.
Summary
On a mission to honor her perfect twin sister who died in an accident she feels responsible for, thirteen-year-old Lola is desperate to complete their treasured Perfect Pairs Collection, but gets caught stealing in the process. She’s sent to spend August with agoraphobic Uncle Milo in his ramshackle mansion on the Connecticut River. Here she becomes even more obsessed with her collection—a lucky baker’s dozen of pairs would provide the magic she needs to keep her out of Bad Girls Boarding School. But mishaps in a Zen Garden, a glitchy projector that spits out holographic messages from her dead aunt, a beached houseboat, and a displaced wolf upend everything and force her to rethink her mission. Who needs the magic most, her quirky uncle or herself?
Advance Praise: