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From Booklist

November 1, 2024
Grades 1-3 Black third-grader Millie Magnus can't wait for family field day at school. She has her friends, her pet chick (named Extra Spicy), her mother (the mayor), and her mother's know-it-all assistant to support her. The only thing preventing Millie from feeling great is the school bully, Buckley, who is white. Millie's story outlines what to do when a person is being bullied in an accessible way for young kids. Millie is a strong character who is not afraid to express herself but also knows the value of asking adults for help. A resolution is achieved after Millie learns what is causing some of Buckley's bullying behavior, reminding readers that sometimes people's actions are driven by circumstances we can't see. In addition to the main drama, Millie is also dealing with the loss of her father and shifting dynamics at home. Grayscale chapter art highlights the racial diversity of Millie's friend group and captures Millie's many emotions as the story unfolds. This first book in a new series is an excellent addition to early chapter-book collections.

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From Publisher's Weekly

September 16, 2024
Though vivacious third grader Millie likes to think she's the boss, she knows that the real person in charge is her mother, the mayor of Washington, D.C.â€"and her mother's assistant Josephine, who stepped in to help following Millie's father's death years ago, much to Millie's dismay. Josephine has too many rules, such as exiling Millie's chicken, Extra Crispy, to sleep in a coop instead of Millie's room. But Millie has bigger problems than Josephine's regulations. At school, bully Buckley taunts Millie and her friends relentlessly. So when Millie learns that she and her mother will compete against Buckley and his father on Field Day, Millie's favorite day, she's devastated. Mom encourages her to stand up to Buckley, but when Millie takes this advice too far, she ends up in hot water with the principal. Worse, Josephine must act as her partner when Mom is too busy to participate. But both Josephine and Buckley have a few surprises in store in this charming series kickoff by Mazique (Delphine Denise and the Mardi Gras Prize), confidently narrated by Millie and complemented by energetic b&w illustrations from Glenn (Bella Ballerina). Millie is Black; supporting characters are racially diverse. Ages 5—8.