(4) K-3 Illustrated by Scot Ritchie. Fiona is a slowpoke. She habitually misses the bus because she eats her cereal bits one by one and brushes each tooth thirty-two times. Her family, fed up, sends her to "Speed School." Readers may get a kick out of Fiona's newly acquired multitasking skills, shown in Ritchie's humorous black-and-white cartoon illustrations, but the story's stop-and-smell-the-roses message is aimed squarely at helicopter parents.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) 4-6 Eight-year-old Isabel's life has changed in many ways since her mother's battle with cancer and the birth of a "miracle" baby sister. Desperate for friends, Isabel also struggles with loneliness, anger, jealousy, and fear. This touching novel paints a realistic portrait of a young girl as she tries to make sense of her confusing world.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear