(3) 1-3 Big Idea Gang series. Illustrated by Stephen Gilpin. A group of third graders form the Big Idea Gang and convince their schoolmates to ditch their traditional armadillo mascot for a dragon (Mascot); the group then persuades their school to add two buddy benches to the playground to help students find new friends (Buddy). The short, heavily illustrated chapter books contain a solid dose of learning along with the appealing contemporary-school-story plots. Review covers these Big Idea Gang titles: Everybody Needs a Buddy and Worst Mascot Ever.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) 1-3 Big Idea Gang series. Illustrated by Stephen Gilpin. A group of third graders form the Big Idea Gang and convince their schoolmates to ditch their traditional armadillo mascot for a dragon (Mascot); the group then persuades their school to add two buddy benches to the playground to help students find new friends (Buddy). The short, heavily illustrated chapter books contain a solid dose of learning along with the appealing contemporary-school-story plots. Review covers these Big Idea Gang titles: Everybody Needs a Buddy and Worst Mascot Ever.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) 4-6 Adrian dies in a bicycle accident and comes back as a zombie--and that's just the start of the weird goings on. Adrian befriends a girl who seems able to sense the future, and together they investigate a mystery involving bees, climate change, and an evil corporation. Given all the action and some level of depth, this zombie story is still mostly lighthearted and comical, and it ends with a satisfying surprise.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 1-3 Jigsaw Jones Mystery series. Illustrated by R. W. Alley. Second-grade private eye Jigsaw Jones solves the case of a mysterious--perhaps alien--note in the neighborhood's Little Free Library. Meanwhile, Jigsaw's class learns about the galaxy, culminating in a video visit by a (brown-skinned, female) space station astronaut. Grayscale illustrations create a safe world of soft, round edges augmenting the kid-friendly wisecracks, wordplay, and simple codes.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) 4-6 Instead of a summer playing baseball, Will is forced to accompany his history-obsessed father on a Lewis and Clark–inspired road trip. Eventually, Will learns the truth behind the journey, revealing a tale of a family redefining itself in the face of serious illness. An easy read, seasoned with American history and Will's tart voice; Will and his father's deepening relationship is affecting.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(3) 4-6 Scary Tales series. Illustrated by Iacopo Bruno. In this sixth genuinely scary installment, twin brothers Chance and Lance don't have much at home in their Texas shack, but they like exploring the nearby swamp. When they find an unusual egg and bring it home, bad things ensue for the twins and their neighbor as a swamp mother searches for her baby. Gray paper and inky-black illustrations add to the spookiness.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) YA Sam journals to cope with the "holes in [the] leaky ship" that his friend Morgan's suicide left behind: Did Sam's participation in a schoolwide cyberbullying "game" cause Morgan's death? How can those affected move on? Simultaneously snarky and sincere, Sam's narration offers an approachable, sensitive look at the aftermath of bullying and suicide, with only rare moves toward easy answers.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) 4-6 Scary Tales series. Illustrated by Iacopo Bruno. These middle-grade horror novels focus on a possessed doll on a mission to become a real girl (Doll) and a supernatural video game so realistic it could kill you (Nightmareland). While the writing and plot construction are well suited for a young audience, there are genuinely terrifying elements in both books that make them a good match for readers who are seeking a true scare. Review covers these Scary Tales titles: Nightmareland and One-Eyed Doll.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) 4-6 Scary Tales series. Illustrated by Iacopo Bruno. These middle-grade horror novels focus on a possessed doll on a mission to become a real girl (Doll) and a supernatural video game so realistic it could kill you (Nightmareland). While the writing and plot construction are well suited for a young audience, there are genuinely terrifying elements in both books that make them a good match for readers who are seeking a true scare. Review covers these Scary Tales titles: Nightmareland and One-Eyed Doll.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Greg Ruth. "Captain" Red and his friend Molly engage in an epic playground battle amidst hordes of imagined pirates on the open sea. The pirate-speak-heavy text reinforces the immersive feeling of the pair's game. Ruth's art provides sweeping perspectives and uses color versus shades of gray and brown to distinguish real figures from imaginary. A glossary of pirate vocabulary follows the story.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(3) 4-6 Scary Tales series. Illustrated by Iacopo Bruno. These two horror novels for middle-grade readers cover the legend of Bloody Mary (Home) and a terrifying amusement park ride (Scream). While the writing and plot construction are nicely targeted to a young audience, there are genuinely terrifying elements in both that make these a good match only for readers who are seeking a true scare. Review covers these Scary Tales titles: Horm Sweet Horror and I Scream, You Scream!.

Reviewer: April Spisak

(3) 4-6 Scary Tales series. Illustrated by Iacopo Bruno. These two horror novels for middle-grade readers cover the legend of Bloody Mary (Home) and a terrifying amusement park ride (Scream). While the writing and plot construction are nicely targeted to a young audience, there are genuinely terrifying elements in both that make these a good match only for readers who are seeking a true scare. Review covers these Scary Tales titles: Horm Sweet Horror and I Scream, You Scream!.

Reviewer: April Spisak

(4) YA Jude's summer job at the beach enables a romance with Becka and triggers memories of his sister's death years before. When tragedy strikes a second time, he's barely able to manage. Preller's convincing portrait of an adolescent struggling with loss is hindered at times by excessive narration and a constant barrage of pop-culture references that will quickly date the novel.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Greg Ruth. In pirate parlance, a boy narrates his first day of school. The full-color illustrations include ghost-like sepia-toned pirates mirroring the boy's actions throughout the day, romping through lessons and bus rides with swords in hand and a parrot in tow. The whole is a bit forced, but swashbuckling pirate aficionados will gladly jump onboard this "jolly boat" "double quick." Glos.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) 4-6 Fifth-grader Justin has been the class clown since third grade. But this year, his continuing antics and snarky humor turn him into a troublemaker, alienating his teacher and even his classmates. Justin's need for attention is unexplained, but readers will recognize his type. Brief chapters clip along and culminate satisfyingly in the transformation Justin undergoes when he emcees his school's talent show.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Matthew Cordell. This happy-ending retelling of Thayer's famous poem will by appreciated by young baseball players and their long-suffering relatives on the sidelines. Cordell's humorous cartoony illustrations of players flubbing catches, whiffing pitches, and ignoring balls largely compensate for the text's uneven rhythm. Casey (who "was the worst by far") scores the winning run; a sweet victory.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) 4-6 Seventh grader Eric moves with his mom and brother to Long Island; his mentally ill father remains absent from the family. Eric falls in with a group of boys dominated by enigmatic bully Griffin. When Eric dares to challenge the gang about one of their vicious pranks, he becomes a victim himself. The story's anti-bullying message, though overt, isn't heavy-handed or didactic.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt

(3) 4-6 This book encompasses the six innings of a Little League championship game, presenting glimpses of different players' perspectives, including that of one former player who becomes an announcer after he's diagnosed with cancer and can no longer play. Preller's vivid sports writing will appeal to any kid who loves baseball, and his story about friendship is touching.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) 4-6 Now that Spider is in fifth grade, it's getting harder to remain friends with his next-door neighbor, Trey. Trey does weird things like hum under his breath and kick the basketball, and Spider's new friends won't tolerate him. Neither Trey nor Spider has a compelling voice, but Preller provides a welcome perspective on a child on the less severe end of the autism spectrum.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay