While Larger-than-Life Lara is a painful picture of the consequences of bullying, this story is also an engaging allegory of the life of Christ, a teaching tool for aspiring writers, and a reminder to kids in difficult homes that they are not alone. Written for middle-grade readers (grades 3-6), Larger-than-Life Lara chronicles the stories of Lara Phelps and Laney Dalton, both outcasts in their own way. Lara, who is very overweight, joins Mrs. Smith’s fourth-grade English class in the middle of the year, and from the moment she walks in the door, she is bullied and mocked by her fellow students. The story culminates in a powerful scene that takes place at the end of the school play. Readers will feel the pain, forgiveness, repentance, and consequences that occur throughout the story as students and teachers experience the worst and best in each other. With the use of sparkling language and a clever structure that teaches story writing, Dandi Mackall tells an unforgettable tale of how the new girl in school transforms an entire class.