Review: Milla Takes Charge (Daring Dreamers Club #1) by Erin Soderberg

Milla Takes Charge 

(Daring Dreamers Club #1) 

Written by Erin Soderberg 

Illustrated by Anoosha Syed 

June 5, 2018 

Random House Children's Books 

Ages 8-12 

Source: from pub for review 

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Milla loves nothing more than imagining grand adventures in the great wide somewhere, just like Belle. She dreams of traveling the world and writing about her incredible discoveries. Unfortunately, there is nothing pretend about the fifth-grade overnight and Milla's fear that her moms won't let her go. 

Enter Piper, Mariana, Zahra, and Ruby. Together with Milla, they form the Daring Dreamers Club and become best friends. But can they help Milla believe she's ready for this real grand adventure? 

Diverse, talented, and smart--these five girls found each other because they all had one thing in common: big dreams. Touching on everyday dramas and the ups and downs of friendship, this series will enchant all readers who are princesses at heart. 

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When their school creates a new advisory program for fifth graders, a group of five girls (Milla, Piper, Mariana, Zahra, and Ruby) are assigned to the same group, led by the new music teacher, and make some magical discoveries about princesses, life, and friendship. Milla, who loves dreaming of adventures in faraway places and spends a lot of time reading about those adventures like Belle, wants badly to attend the fifth grade overnight. But Milla is worried that her protective moms won't let her go. So, with the help of the newly formed Daring Dreamers Club, her pet pig Chocolate Chip, and a little princess inspiration, Milla sets out to prove that she's ready for the overnight trip. 

Milla Takes Charge is the first book in Daring Dreamers Club, a contemporary middle-grade series from Disney and Random House Children's Books, written by Erin Soderberg and illustrated by Anoosha Syed. The Daring Dreamers Club consist of five fifth grade girls- Milla, Piper, Mariana, Zahra, and Ruby- who help each other chase their big dreams and aspire to be like the Disney princesses they admire. While all five girls have storylines in book one, Milla Takes Charge focuses mostly on Milla, who relates best to Princess Belle. 

Milla Takes Charge is a charming and fun introduction to what is sure to be a beloved series. Soderberg crafts a light-hearted and pitch-perfect middle-grade story full of age appropriate humor and amusing misadventures, relatable situations, important lessons, and endearing characters. The Daring Dreamers Club features a wonderfully diverse cast; the five main characters come from different cultures, religions, backgrounds, family dynamics, and have a fun and varied collection of hobbies, talents, and dreams. Young readers will love getting to know each of these likable and relatable young girls (and their families and pets) through their journal entries and interactions amongst each other.  

Milla Takes Charge (and I'm sure the series as a whole) shines a light on healthy, supportive, and positive female friendships; offers positive messages about kindness, diversity, and hard work; and encourages readers to never stop dreaming big! Milla Takes Charge would make a great summer read, especially for children's book clubs. 

MY RATING

4/5 Cupcakes

ERIN SODERBERG lives in Minneapolis, MN, with her husband, three adventure-loving kids, and a mischievous Goldendoodle named Wally. Before becoming an author, she was a children’s book editor and a cookie inventor and worked for Nickelodeon. She has written many books for young readers, including the Quirks and Puppy Pirates series. Visit her online at erinsoderberg.com. 

  

ANOOSHA SYED is a Pakistani illustrator & character designer for animation. She received her BFA in illustration at Ceruleum: Ecole d'arts Visuels in Switzerland, and now lives in Canada. Visit her online at anooshasyed.com.