(4) K-3 Illustrated by Red Hansen. Bully Tyler terrorizes his schoolmates but takes to the class pet, a rat named Snowball. After Snowball escapes from its cage, Tyler forges an unexpected friendship. The book wears its message--open your hearts--on its sleeve. Digital and mixed-media illustrations, though similarly unsubtle, are creatively composed.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Stacey Schuett. At neighbor Miss Sandy's raptor rehabilitation center, Nathan suggests giving a screech owl with a broken wing some orphaned owlets to care for. Nathan then finds a way, even with his own cerebral palsy, to help Miss Sandy with her chores and tasks. Despite the pointed parallel between disabled owl and boy, the story, accompanied by warm illustrations, has energy.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Bill Farnsworth. Megan's birth mother, Kendra, planted a tree in honor of her birthday. Though she's happy in her adoptive family, Megan worries when Kendra moves to another town: without the birthday tree, will Kendra forget her? Though static, the realistic illustrations for this purposeful but reassuring story about open adoption include some nice portraits of the admirably determined protagonist.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Gail Piazza. Sarah and her big sister Becky face a new school together, but when Becky has a seizure in front of her classmates she refuses to return. Sarah walks to school alone and explains epilepsy to Becky's class. Despite overly purposeful dialogue, the story rings true. Pastel illustrations excel at portraying the sisters' bond and their emotional conflicts, but the figure drawing is sometimes awkward. A note on epilepsy is included.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Karen Ritz. Ben, who stutters, is reluctant to talk, but he courageously speaks up--stutter and all--to save a friendly but ineffective guard dog from the pound. Lears tells Ben's story with a light touch, and the illustrations are expressive, if occasionally awkward. The book lists helpful organizations and includes a note explaining "myths about stuttering."

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Karen Ritz. Stephen, always being told in school to "sit still" and "pay attention," notices a Canada goose near his home with a steel trap around its leg, the chain dragging behind it. Stephen helps free Mr. Goose in this simple story of patience and perseverance illustrated with occasionally ill-proportioned but realistic watercolors. An author's note discusses attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, though no mention of it is made in the text.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(2) K-3 Without ever saying what autism is (beyond "Ian's brain doesn't work like other people's"), Ian's older sister Julie details his peculiar interactions with his surroundings as they walk to the park. Low-key watercolors casually offset Ian's idiosyncrasies with Julie's frustration and impatience. The unsensational tone is maintained to the end when Julie realizes that she appreciates Ian simply for who he is.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.