In the book, A New Leaf for Lyle, Lyle “turns over a new leaf.” He’s tired of being known as “Lyle the Liar,” and eager to earn back everyone’s trust. But what does that really mean, to “turn over a new leaf”? The idea of turning over a new leaf doesn’t really mean to flip over a leaf on a tree. The word “leaf” can refer to the paper pages of a book, and the expression originally meant to turn to a fresh, new, blank page – like in a journal or a notebook. It is a metaphor for starting over with good habits or changing your ways for the better. This meaning of “turning over a new leaf” dates back over 400 years, to around the same time Shakespeare was writing the play, Romeo and Juliet!

A New Leaf for Lyle has placed in the Top 10 in all three nominated categories in the Annual Preditors & Editors™ Readers’ Poll!