(3) 1-3 Dirty Bertie series. Written by David Roberts. Bertie is a spirited boy who tackles haircuts, janitors, chicken pox, ballroom dance competitions, and babysitters in these early chapter books. Three stand-alone stories make up each book, and all end with a humorous twist. Bertie's hijinks and imagination, coupled with the amusing black-and-white drawings, make for an engaging, high-energy combination. Review covers these Dirty Bertie titles: Fangs! and Germs!

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) 1-3 Dirty Bertie series. Written by David Roberts. Bertie is a spirited boy who tackles haircuts, janitors, chicken pox, ballroom dance competitions, and babysitters in these early chapter books. Three stand-alone stories make up each book, and all end with a humorous twist. Bertie's hijinks and imagination, coupled with the amusing black-and-white drawings, make for an engaging, high-energy combination. Review covers these Dirty Bertie titles: Fangs! and Germs!

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Mark Beech. The Troll family is back in their second adventure, this time featuring young Ulrik seeking a place on a soccer team and his father looking for his first job. Once again, the premise is clever, but the story line leaves holes in its logic. Quentin Blake–style drawings (some of which fail to capture the text's descriptions) illustrate the story.

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(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Mark Beech. When the Troll family moves from the mountains of Norway to small-town Biddlesden, their new next-door neighbors, the Priddles, are not pleased; among other horrors, the Priddles suspect that the Trolls eat children. The story has a clever premise, but its underlying message (don't prejudge) is too obvious. Illustrations resembling those of Quentin Blake accompany the story.

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(4) K-3 Illustrated by Paul Hess. When Peggoty the pig overhears some lambs saying she's bald and ugly, she is devastated. She makes a wig out of straw, but this only makes the lambs laugh more. It's not until Peggoty sees a human admiring her bald infant that she's finally mollified. The bright, full-page illustrations of the farmyard animals are appealing, although the motivation for Peggoty's distress isn't fully convincing.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 In this spoof of 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears', the bears seek retribution for the damage done to their house by making a mess in what they think is Goldilocks's cottage. After a food fight in the kitchen, dancing on the sofa, a bath, and a pillow fight, the bears discover who the house really belongs to. Humorous, lighthearted illustrations capture the bears' escapades.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.