Published by Chronicle Books

Summary:  Ella and her two moms live in an apartment at 1106 Wildflower Place, a Victorian house on Poppy Hill in San Francisco.  There are four other apartments in the house, and Ella is good friends with all the residents except the mysterious and reclusive Robinsons who live on the top floor.  The book is divided into three sections: New Neighbors, in which the newest couple is welcomed into the building; Tea at Ten O’clock, where a series of interruptions delay Ella’s tea date with her neighbor Matilda; and The Greatest Mystery of All Time, which is solved when Ella finally gets to meet the Robinsons.  There’s a feel of more adventures ahead, so be on the lookout for a sequel. 132 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  A warm and inviting early chapter book with plenty of illustrations.  With two gay couples, two straight, a single woman, and a pretty quirky main character, the story exudes acceptance and community.

Cons:  I found Ella kind of annoyingly precocious.