(3) 1-3 Illustrated by K-Fai Steele. "Wolf could count his friends on one hand. Three, two, one... NONE! And that was the way he liked it." The first two books in this new transitional reader series introduce us to misanthropic Wolf. In the first, Wolf tries to get a pet so he can win a pet competition--not because he wants a pet, but because he wants the jellybean prize. In the second, he tries to spend a day in solitude after getting kicked out of school for frightening the other ­children. Wolf's hyperbolic personality is reflected in the characters' exaggerated facial features. Supporting characters (who are depicted with a variety of shapes, sizes, ages, and skin tones) are unnamed; instead, they're called as Wolf sees them: "bossy boy," "eager girl," "jolly hiker." These piquant stories are all hard edges, blunted somewhat by the pencil and watercolor illustrations' soft lines and gentle coloring, reminiscent in tone and style to William Steig's classic works. The text itself is in multiple chapters with a wide range of sentences per page, with vocabulary and phonetic challenges, so this is for readers who have grown in their confidence. With their wry humor, these books would also work as read-alouds in classrooms, libraries, and homes. Review covers these titles: Lone Wolf: Gets a Pet and Lone Wolf: Goes to School.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by K-Fai Steele. "Wolf could count his friends on one hand. Three, two, one... NONE! And that was the way he liked it." The first two books in this new transitional reader series introduce us to misanthropic Wolf. In the first, Wolf tries to get a pet so he can win a pet competition--not because he wants a pet, but because he wants the jellybean prize. In the second, he tries to spend a day in solitude after getting kicked out of school for frightening the other ­children. Wolf's hyperbolic personality is reflected in the characters' exaggerated facial features. Supporting characters (who are depicted with a variety of shapes, sizes, ages, and skin tones) are unnamed; instead, they're called as Wolf sees them: "bossy boy," "eager girl," "jolly hiker." These piquant stories are all hard edges, blunted somewhat by the pencil and watercolor illustrations' soft lines and gentle coloring, reminiscent in tone and style to William Steig's classic works. The text itself is in multiple chapters with a wide range of sentences per page, with vocabulary and phonetic challenges, so this is for readers who have grown in their confidence. With their wry humor, these books would also work as read-alouds in classrooms, libraries, and homes. Review covers these titles: Lone Wolf: Gets a Pet and Lone Wolf: Goes to School.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) 4-6 The Octavius family is notable for producing Callers--people with the ability to summon objects seemingly out of thin air. Quintus Octavius, however, has never been successful at Calling anything. This does not sit well with his mother, Elipsom's Chief Councilor, and she makes sure he passes his Calling exam by enlisting his sister to Call for him. Cheating doesn't help Quin's already low confidence, but it's at this point that he accidentally transports himself across their world to Evantra, where he will grow to understand the truth about Callers, Elipsom's history, and his mother's complicity in depleting Evantra's resources for Elipsom's gain. Set in an evocatively realized fantasy world with, in Elipsom's case, a futuristic feel, this is a moving and complex story about the discomfort and reward of doing what is right. Thomas's debut middle-grade novel is a clever critique of the ­consumerism that we might take for granted. She tackles serious topics with wit, charm, and a few flying rhinodrites along the way.

Reviewer: Sarah Berman | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022