LOLA AND THE TROLL

A debut picture book by Pulitzer prize winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author Connie Schultz, about a young girl named Lola who decides to be brave and stand up to a bully.

Lola is a happy kid who loves recess and her imaginary dog, Tank. There's just one problem: the neighbor kid Tom. Tom hides behind his troll costume and says mean things to pretty much everyone who walks by, including Lola. Soon, Tom's bullying starts to really get to Lola! She wears her hair differently, walks on her tippy toes to gain a few extra inches to her height, and even puts cornstarch in her shoes because she thinks her feet stink! It's not long before she starts being extra quiet in school. Things start to turn around when Lola's mom takes her to story time. Ms. Sneesby, the proprietor of Bee's Sneeze Books, reminds Lola that she LOVES her curly hair, her bright smile, her big eyes, and most of all? That the Lola Ms. Sneesby knows is brave.

Lola and the Troll, illustrated by Sandy Rodriguez, is about remembering how to be brave, even when it's hard, and realizing that sometimes all a bully really needs is a little kindness.

Connie Schultz is a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, a nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate and Professional in Residence in the journalism school at Kent State University, her alma mater. She is the author of two memoirs: "Life Happens" and ".And His Lovely Wife." Her first novel, "The Daughters of Erietown," was published in 2020. Schultz lives in Cleveland with her husband, Sherrod Brown, and their two rescue dogs, Franklin and Walter. They have four children and seven grandchildren.

Sandy Rodriguez is a Mexican watercolor artist and illustrator based in London.