(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Stephanie Roth. Shy third-grader Lizzie learns how to stick up for her friends when she's assigned as journal buddy to fiercely independent Ivana. Despite obvious didactic passages on friendship, the joy of reading, and the evils of cheating, the girls are so sympathetic and creative that their success in the Supersonic Reader contest is a pleasure to follow. Numerous illustrations make the book especially accessible.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) K-3 In this short story packaged as a picture book, taciturn hermit Jake finds his life changing after he stumbles upon a trunk filled with colorful skirts. The text teeters dangerously on the edge of maudlin but is saved by Slonim's richly textured oil paintings, illustrations that gradually shift from dark to sun-illuminated as Jake's morose world brightens.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.