(4) K-3 Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. When friends Nancy and Bree find a litter of kittens, Nancy's allowed to keep one--to her dog's consternation. O'Connor's pleasing-enough story positions the pets as siblings to get readers to reflect on rivalry; but really, as usual, the book is a showcase for the standard Nancy-isms ("investigate" is "fancy for finding out what's up") and for Glasser's trademark art, which resembles something elaborate a baker might create with frosting.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Rick Whipple. In Big Mess, toddler JoJo's dad tolerates her disarray until he walks in on a pillow-destroying pillow fight. In Magic Trick, JoJo is disappointed by her limitations at prestidigitation until she makes milk and a cookie "disappear." Fancy Nancy's little sister proves worthy of the spotlight in these sturdy early readers for which Whipple faithfully emulates Robin Preiss Glasser's featherlight visual style. Review covers these I Can Read titles: JoJo and the Big Mess and JoJo and the Magic Trick.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Rick Whipple. In Big Mess, toddler JoJo's dad tolerates her disarray until he walks in on a pillow-destroying pillow fight. In Magic Trick, JoJo is disappointed by her limitations at prestidigitation until she makes milk and a cookie "disappear." Fancy Nancy's little sister proves worthy of the spotlight in these sturdy early readers for which Whipple faithfully emulates Robin Preiss Glasser's featherlight visual style. Review covers these I Can Read titles: JoJo and the Big Mess and JoJo and the Magic Trick.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser & Ted Enik. Fancy Nancy demonstrates her resourcefulness after a rainstorm and traffic jam force her to miss the class trip to a planetarium. The art in this serviceable tale shows Nancy as glammed up as ever, but, in a refreshing departure, the "fancy" stuff isn't center stage. The book concludes with "Fancy Nancy's Fancy Words" (also known as a glossary). This inexpensive paper-over-board edition includes an appendix celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of I Can Read.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) 4-6 Who HQ: Who Was...? series. Illustrated by Stephen Marchesi. Grosset's long-running Who Was...? series is re-branded. These readable, informative biographies are marred only by the caricatured cover illustrations (typical of the classic series) and interior pencil illustrations that are inconsistent in style. Otherwise, these will give young readers a good sense of who these people were (or are). Occasional full- and double-page text boxes successfully illuminate related topics. Timeline. Bib. Review covers these Who HQ: Who Was...? titles: Who Was Jane Austen?, Who Was Chuck Jones?, Who Was Coretta Scott King?, Who Is Ralph Lauren? Who Was Alexander Hamilton?, Who Was Lewis Carroll?, Who Is Pope Francis?, and Who Was Andrew Jackson?.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Rick Whipple. Nancy, schmancy: Fancy Nancy's little sister JoJo is now carrying her own early reader series. This time, JoJo is baking a cake with Daddy's help, but she will tell only Nancy who it's for. After the sibs fancify the cake, they surprise Daddy with it. It's a fully baked effort, and Whipple nails Fancy Nancy illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser's bedazzled style.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Ted Enik. Nancy's fancy dog, Frenchy, is a tolerable terror, but the pooch goes too far when she wrecks Nancy's new backpack, which Nancy painstakingly fancied up for the new school year. At puppy school, Frenchy shapes up, after which the beginning-reader story fizzles out. Still, Nancy's fans will get their frilly, frothy fill via Enik's Robin Preiss Glasser–imitating art. Glos.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Ted Enik. Nancy is cuckoo for fifth grader Violet, her big-kid reading buddy (Buddies); Nancy finds her school's Backward Day to be thrillingly confusing--and sees an opportunity to finagle a class fashion show (Backward). Despite the limited vocabulary in these easy readers, O'Connor keeps things fresh and fancy. The illustrations, "based on the art of Robin Preiss Glasser," hit all the frilly-flowery marks. Glos. Review covers these I Can Read Book titles: Fancy Nancy Best Reading Buddies and Fancy Nancy It's Backward Day!.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Fancy Nancy series. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. When her parents win an overnight at a resort, Nancy reassures her little sister that she'll take care of her while they're spending the night at a neighbor's house. O'Connor keeps the franchise fresh by spotlighting braggadocio-spewing Nancy's human side (guess who misses her parents at the sleepover?). Glasser doesn't waste any chance to shoehorn in a pleasingly swirly detail.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 1-3 Fancy Nancy series. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. While learning about the Gold Rush, Nancy's class starts their own entrepreneurial businesses; Nancy and best friend Bree find that running a business is hard work. An excursion to Antiques in Your Attic (think PBS's Antiques Roadshow) helps Nancy understand the true meaning of "priceless." The seventh appealing chapter book, filled with fancy Nancy-isms and Glasser's signature curlicue art, gently explores family economics.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Ted Enik. Nancy is cuckoo for fifth grader Violet, her big-kid reading buddy (Buddies); Nancy finds her school's Backward Day to be thrillingly confusing--and sees an opportunity to finagle a class fashion show (Backward). Despite the limited vocabulary in these easy readers, O'Connor keeps things fresh and fancy. The illustrations, "based on the art of Robin Preiss Glasser," hit all the frilly-flowery marks. Glos. Review covers these I Can Read Book titles: Fancy Nancy Best Reading Buddies and Fancy Nancy It's Backward Day!.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 1-3 Fancy Nancy series. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. Nancy is excited to be in the third-grade variety show. When Nancy says some things she doesn't mean to best friend Bree, she needs help from her family to work things out with Bree and overcome her own jitters. While Nancy wouldn't consider her performance a smashing success, a YouTube video makes Nancy a star. Black-and-white illustrations match this fifth chapter book's peppiness.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Ted Enik. Nancy faces her fear of jellyfish while on a class trip. She and her classmates plan a surprise birthday bash for an unnamed-until-book's-end guest of honor. Party covers familiar Fancy Nancy terrain; Jellyfish is somewhat fresher; but both books will hook beginning readers (who'll need help with "fancy words"). The frilly art that Glasser made famous comes via fine facsimile. Glos. Review covers the following I Can Read Book titles: Fancy Nancy: Peanut Butter and Jellyfish and Fancy Nancy: Super Secret Surprise Party.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Fancy Nancy series. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. Twelve previously published easy readers and picture books are reformatted and gathered in one uniform storybook volume. The book's uber-pink cover, fancy words, and frilly art will delight loquacious Nancy's many fans. That the stories are light on plot won't bother them a whit (that's a fancy way of saying fans won't be disappointed).

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Ted Enik. Nancy faces her fear of jellyfish while on a class trip. She and her classmates plan a surprise birthday bash for an unnamed-until-book's-end guest of honor. Party covers familiar Fancy Nancy terrain; Jellyfish is somewhat fresher; but both books will hook beginning readers (who'll need help with "fancy words"). The frilly art that Glasser made famous comes via fine facsimile. Glos. Review covers the following I Can Read Book titles: Fancy Nancy: Peanut Butter and Jellyfish and Fancy Nancy: Super Secret Surprise Party.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 1-3 Fancy Nancy series. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. It's soccer season and everyone has soccer mania. Nancy Clancy doesn't excel at the sport like her friends, but with help from her dad and best friend Bree, Nancy tries hard to improve. Filled with Nancy-isms and sweet black-and-white illustrations, this sixth chapter book explores teamwork and sportsmanship. And while the underdogs don't ultimately win, the ending is satisfying.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Ted Enik. The word maven enjoys a class trip to an orchard (Apples) despite class clown Lionel's antics. In Luck she becomes obsessed with avoiding bad luck until a runaway black cat crosses her path. Insatiable fans (fancy way of saying they have a high tolerance for her schtick) will enjoy her latest easy-reader outings, even if her schtick is, at this point, routine. Glos. Review covers these I Can Read Book titles: Fancy Nancy: Apples Galore and Fancy Nancy: Just My Luck.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. Nancy is (finally) invited to a wedding. In a perfectly executed set piece, she (like the reader) is enjoying the frilly opulence...until she wakes up. Then she arrives at the cabin where, to her initial horror, her hippie uncle is getting unfancily married. O'Connor and Glasser maintain their brand's solid batting average with the help of a well-played small-is-beautiful message.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Bella Sinclair. Tired of wishing for Witch Baby to disappear, jealous big sister Lulu Witch attempts a disappearing potion. There aren't many surprises in O'Connor's original story of sibling dynamics. Still, in this re-illustrated edition, Sinclair's round-faced Lulu stares invitingly out from the pages, and the muted illustrations both support newly independent reading and add witchy details for readers to discover.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. This collection includes two picture books (Halloween...Or Bust! and Our Thanksgiving Banquet) and four easy readers (Fancy Day in Room 1-A, Splendid Speller, Apples Galore!, and The 100th Day of School). Nancy's definitions of "fancy" words appear in the texts and in glossaries. The frilly art is an appropriate accompaniment for Nancy's frothy narration.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn