Although the effect can be heavy-handed, the metafiction appearance between chapters of “Libro,” the voice of the physical book, adds humor and draws attention to the literary craft. With increasing self-esteem, Lily, along with Hobart, Skylar, and Dunya, not only finds ways to address bullying, but to spark kindness and respect throughout their school. Motivating Lily is her deathbed promise to her father to find ways to speak up and make her voice heard. Erskine aptly conveys Lily’s inner struggle between her reserved demeanor and her desire to stand up to bullying. The quiet, observant tween also can’t help but notice that Skylar (a boy presumably living in poverty because he wears the same clothes and has little to eat at lunch) and Dunya (a refugee from Iraq) are more of Ryan’s victims.
Instantly befriended by Hobart, a gregarious boy who interjects his love for the sport of curling whenever he can, Lily sees that he’s bullied by wealthy classmate Ryan, who also targets her. Grieving the death of her father, Lily must adjust from home-schooling to enrolling in a public elementary school as well. While finding her own voice, a shy sixth grader speaks up for bullied students.
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