Stories for Growing
Cover of Stand Tall, Molly Lou MelonAges 4 to 8
ConfidenceKnowing yourself

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon

Patty Lovell, illustrated by David Catrow

Ages 4 to 8
About this age guidance

Kirkus: 4–8; Publishers Weekly: 4–8

The age tag follows Kirkus review. Other sources may suggest different ages. This is audience guidance, not an independent reading level.

A mother reports that her two- and four-year-old laugh every time and keep asking for it.

Molly Lou Melon has every feature a bully might pick on, and a grandmother who told her to be proud anyway. At a new school she meets Ronald Durkin’s taunts by showing off the very things he mocks, and wins over the class, him included.

Recommended by Read. Eat. Repeat.

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What children see in the story

Molly Lou acts on her grandmother’s advice to believe in herself, even under pressure at a new school. She knows what she can do well and uses it.

Why it’s on these shelves

Confidence
Molly Lou is short, clumsy and buck-toothed, with a frog-like voice. Her grandmother told her to walk proudly and believe in herself, and at a new school she does, even when Ronald Durkin picks on her.
Knowing yourself
Molly Lou answers each of Ronald Durkin’s taunts by turning the trait he mocks into something she does well, like stacking pennies on her teeth. Her classmates come around, and so does he.

Why pick it up?

The bully comes round and Molly Lou is accepted as herself.

A note for parents

Reviewers note the fable-like ending; it works better as a confidence story than as a guide to handling bullying.

Where this recommendation comes from

Read. Eat. Repeat.

A mother reports that her two- and four-year-old laugh every time and keep asking for it.

Read Read. Eat. Repeat.’s recommendation
Sources and review status

We have checked source descriptions and drafted the value mapping. We have not personally reviewed the full book. The value labels, situation assignments, and parent notes remain provisional.

Publisher or literacy resource · Original recommendation

Our explanation of the value fit is separate from the original reviewer’s judgment. Their inclusion here does not imply an endorsement of Stories for Growing.

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