Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 09/01/2020 Gr 1–2—The very small girl with the sweet brown face and mass of black hair, Molly Lou Melon (Stand Up, Molly Lou Melon) is back with more self-confidence than ever. She enthusiastically embraces her mother's instructions to be true to herself, take responsibility, and accept people for who they are along with all their differences. So when a new class bully, Bettina Bonklehead, teases her and her friends, Molly Lou staunchly defends their friendship. When she and Bettina are both involved in a paint project gone awry, Molly Lou takes responsibility and cheerily accepts the punishment while Bettina stays quiet. When Bettina bullies the new boy, Molly doesn't hesitate to stand up to her, and tell her to stop. While the final message for the bully is a tad overly simplistic—"If you want to be a friend, it's all up to you"—readers may be encouraged by Molly Lou's upbeat approach, aware that she has learned the lesson from bully-turned-friend, Ronald Durkin, of the previous book. VERDICT While standing up to bullies is nothing new for the perpetually self-confident protagonist, the whimsical approach paired with Catrow's familiar signature ink and watercolor caricatures make this an easily digestible lesson in making good choices and speaking up.—Jessica Marie, Salem P.L., OR - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.