A Brave Girl Collection Story
Publication Date: March 3, 2026
A heartwarming and magical middle-grade adventure about grief, guilt, and the power of connection.
Thirteen-year-old Lola is determined to honor her perfect twin sister, who died in an accident Lola can’t forgive herself for. To make things right, she’s on a mission to complete their Perfect Pairs Collection-but one mistake lands her in serious trouble. Now, instead of facing reform school, Lola must spend August with her eccentric, agoraphobic Uncle Milo in his crumbling mansion on the Connecticut River.
What begins as punishment quickly turns into a summer full of strange discoveries: a Zen garden gone wrong, a holographic projector spitting ghostly messages from her late aunt, a mysterious houseboat, and even a wandering wolf. As Lola races to complete her lucky baker’s dozen of perfect pairs, she starts to realize that magic isn’t about collections or luck-it’s about healing, forgiveness, and finding where she truly belongs.
Perfect for fans of Kate DiCamillo, Lynda Mullaly Hunt, and Anne Ursu, this touching, funny, and imaginative story explores family, loss, and the courage it takes to let go.
Lola has done something wrong. She was caught stealing, and her parents don’t know what else to do other than send her to her uncle’s for the summer. Lola Gillette and the Summer of Second Chances by Kimberly Behre Kenna is a story that intertwines family tragedy and an unusually marvelous summer filled with hidden treasures.
Lola considers herself a bad girl. She has been stealing, but there is a good reason. She has made a secret pact with her sister who died in a tragedy. Lola couldn’t save her sister, but completing a special collection that the sisters began will surely bring luck Lola’s way.
Since the death of Vinnie, the girls’ parents cannot deal with whatever is happening with Lola. Time away is needed, so why not have Lola help her uncle with his rundown property? But Uncle Milo is also grieving the passing of his wife. Pushing her own grief aside, Lola devises a plan to get her uncle back into life, all the while resurrecting the hundred-year-old castle he lives in. An abandoned garden, locked doors that take solving puzzles to open, a wolf waiting beyond the trees, and a new yodeling friend, all will be part of the summer to save Uncle Milo and Lola.
I enjoyed the fresh take on a summer adventure for this thirteen-year-old. The complexity of the plot is just right for a middle-grade reader. There were a few places where the story felt discontinuous, but overall, there is a lot to enjoy here.
Summer doesn’t need to be about the beach. This summer adventure involves a rundown castle and a new friend who teaches a city girl about the wonders of nature, and how to yodel!
Lola Gillette and the Summer of Second Chances is an unexpected read amongst the bookshelf for middle-grade readers. 
Kimberly Behre Kenna, a former fifth-grade teacher, is the author of the Brave Girls Collection for middle-grade readers. ARTEMIS SPARKE AND THE SOUND SEEKERS BRIGADE is a National Indies Excellence Award finalist and was short-listed for the Green Earth Book Award. JETT JAMISON AND THE SECRET STORM is a Nautilus Book Award winner, a Foreword Indies Winner, an Eric Hoffer Award winner, and was short-listed for the Eric Hoffer Grand Prize. Kimberly’s books go beyond simple mysteries, inspiring discussions about topics such as mental health and trauma. They are a call to action for young people to speak their stories and connect with the healing power of nature.
