The Love Report
by BeKa, illustrated by Maya
Interest age: 12 to 14
Reading age: 9+
Published by Hippo Park, 2023
About this book
Lola and Grace are interested in love – why it's never quite like in the movies, why boys ghost you after a few days, why Noah never looks at Lola....
In the course of their investigations, they talk to Felicity Sunshine, the girl whom all the boys like, and Adele, the girl whom the boys steer clear of. And Lola plucks up the courage to tell Noah how she feels.
This is a sweet graphic novel about young girls discovering that nothing is simple when it comes to love. Sometimes both boys and girls behave in ways that hurt others, which is a tough lesson to learn. This theme, and the message that it's best not to abandon your friends while you're in love, are gently conveyed, as is the suggestion to look beyond appearances. Grace is also dealing with a family break-up, adding further emotions to the mix.
The colour pictures are vibrant and appealing, and the font in the speech bubbles is upper and lower case, making it easy to read, and accessible. All 'love' content is pretty mild – only kissing is shown and nothing else is discussed. This would be a fun read for early secondary students.
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