A rhyming story about loneliness and shyness and the struggle to fit in with your peers at school, this is the story of June and how she overcomes her insecurities. An easy target for Bill the bully, June is ridiculed and upset by him and is left feeling like he is right and she is a loser. Jonas, however, recognises a bully when he sees one and comes to June's aid. Together, these blue beings become friends and when a trash monster threatens a passing seagull, they save the gull and teach the monster a lesson about bullying. The rhymes don't quite work and the illustrations remind me of older books that the children in my class sometimes pass by in favour of newer, brighter looking books with shiny pages but there's something very charming about this children's book that I loved. It's a different read that surprises you and I would definitely share this book with my class as part of an anti-bullying and be kind to each other theme. I think there's a place for this book across a range of classes and it wouldn't be out of place in a book talk lesson, PSHE lesson or just on the shelf to enjoy.
This comic-like illustrated chapter book tells the story of June, a shy and lonely girl who's trying to make friends by joining a school sandcastle competition. But things don’t turn out the way she hoped. June gets left out by her peers and tormented by a bully. Heartbroken, she runs away venturing into an unfamiliar place. There she meets Jonas, a kid ready to take a stand for what's right. Together they end up stumbling upon Gull—a stranded seagull yelling for help, and Skull—a monster looking to destroy everything in its path. Navigating through all sorts of adventures, June begins to discover her hidden courage and her own sense of worth. As her journey unfolds, she learns to feel good in her own skin and how to use her voice to stand up for herself and others, while making some good friends along the way.
Luz Agudelo grew up in the tiny town of Zaragoza, Colombia. As a young girl she spent hours upon hours in the town library and loved writing plays for her classmates to perform. For a time Luz was an au-pair in Wilmington, NC. During her stay, she enjoyed drawing, coloring and cutting out characters in order to make up stories with her host children. While earning her B.A. in psychology at Florida International University (FIU) and volunteering with AmeriCorps, Luz wrote the first draft of Out Loud. Recently, she decided to dust off her old manuscript and reconnect with her passion for writing stories. Luz currently lives in Miami with her husband and six-rescued cat companions.
