(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jamie Hogan. One night in 1871, the beauty and sounds of Yosemite Falls lured a young John Muir to hike alongside them. A strong breeze suddenly allowed Muir to scoot behind the waterfall, but then the shifting falls almost swept him away. Factual sidebars and back matter about the naturalist's life extend the story; skillful pastel-pencil illustrations impart a sense of the vast setting.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Judy Love. After a fiasco on their last field trip, Mrs. Hartwell takes her students to the zoo armed with her list of field-trip tips ("Foolproof Field-Trip Tip #3: Be prepared for delays. Food works"). The humorous story is accompanied by Love's caricature-like illustrations, created using ink and transparent dyes, capturing the preparation, bus ride, and students working on their observation sheets.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Caitlin Heimerl. Based on a true event, Danneberg weaves a story about Claude Monet painting on a rocky beach. Like the artist's style, the lyrical text is loose and impressionistic, but it's supported by caption boxes with biographical and historical facts. Heimerl's watercolors successfully mimic Impressionist paintings. An author's note provides more background, and back matter on technique further relates Monet's skills and processes. Bib.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Judy Love. It gradually dawns on teacher Mrs. Hartwell that her test-preparation drills are freaking out the students, making her (not them) the one who ultimately learns a lesson. The text strains for a child's voice ("Double, triple, quadruple yuck"), the art for humor--but the story line shows that both author and illustrator respect kids. Maybe test-obsessed educators will take the hint.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by John Shelley. Mary's father is despondent after losing his leg in a mining accident. Her mother does her best, taking in laundry and refusing to give in to despair, but it's Mary (a character based on Danneberg's grandmother) who rescues the situation. Cartoony illustrations are a mismatch for the heartfelt text, but readers won't need them to see into Mary's world.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2009

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Judy Love. This book consists of students' letters to Mrs. Hartwell, the new teacher introduced in First Day Jitters, who has set up an in-class "post office." Letter writers include Eddie, who apologizes for throwing up on her, and Andy, who claims not to know how the class snake got loose. The non-cumulative letters may tire some readers, but many will derive humor from the unflinchingly illustrated disasters.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Judy Love. In spite of Mr. Hartwell's entreaties, Sarah Jane Hartwell does not want to start her first day in a new school. Like all newcomers, she worries about having to begin again and wonders if there will be nice children in her class. But the ending reveals that Sarah is not a new student--she's the teacher! Lively line and watercolor illustrations bring Sarah's plight to life.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley