Willa's Poppy

Willa's Poppy
Chester Aaron
Zumaya
ISBN:1-55410-282-0
Fiction, Young Adult
Reviewed by Qetesh

This is a heartwarming story about a little girl named Willa. She suffers from self-image issues, poor grades and many things that teenagers wrestle with on a daily basis. This coming of age tale explores her struggles to learn to read, while her sister Alex, who is one of the beautiful popular people at school, excels at everything. Willa is barely passing any subjects at all, but she has a dream.
That dream is to own a dog. Willa will not settle for any type of dog. She has her heart set on owning a Bloodhound, that she can name Poppy.
Willa signs a contract with her parents, which states that if her grades improve she can have a dog on her fourteenth birthday. The reader joins Willa on a journey of single-minded self-determination to reach her goal. Willa’s personal successes inspire everyone around her. This is reflected beautifully in the supportive love relationship between the two sisters who live in very different social worlds.
She turns her grades around, which gives her the encouragement to strive for more. Her hard work and successful endeavors enable her to graduate at the top of her class. She later saves the day when a dangerous criminal crosses her path. I thought this was an inspiring story that encourages young people to believe in themselves. It carries the important message that you can achieve your goals if you stay focused, believe in yourself, and never give up. This is a wonderful book that illustrates that great things can be accomplished if you reach for your dreams.