Incredibly Penelope by Lauren Myracle
Published by Walker Books US on August 12, 2025
ISBN: 1536206067
Pages: 336
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

Penelope is living the big life- travelling the world with her mom and her mom’s best friend, Queenie, who happens to be a famous reality tv star and Penelope’s godmother.  But Penelope feels like something is missing- she wants to go to school because she’s never been before.  She convinces her mom and Queenie to let her attend a boarding school for girls in Georgia.  While there, most of the girls are impressed with Penelope (since she’s practically related to a famous star!) and Penelope enjoys making friends, especially with Tate, one of her roommates.  Tate helps Penelope deal with Dilly, another roommate who despises Penelope immediately.  When tragedy strikes and Queenie and Penelope’s mom are lost at sea and presumed dead, Penelope is forced by the cruel headmaster to live in the dingy basement and do chores, since she can no longer pay for her tuition.  Penelope tries to make the best of her terrible situation, cleaning her clothes in a nearby marsh and befriending a rat, though she does grieve for her mom and Queenie.  

Elementary readers will enjoy the spunky and generous Penelope and will be excited by the way things turn out for her at the end, with her family being restored in unexpected ways.  The headmaster, Mrs. Grimsley, is an excellent villain who becomes more cruel as the novel unfolds and Dilly, who is Penelope’s rival, shows great transformation by the end of the book.  Readers who like well developed characters will enjoy this novel.  This is a fun riches to rags story with a satisfying ending.