(2) 4-6 Twelve-year-old Aurora Franklin's tics, sensory issues, and compulsive behaviors have long worried her mother. An impending visit from the now-adult Heidi (protagonist of So B. It) brings up Aurora's anxiety about her mother's devotion to this stranger from the past. Next, a house fire displaces the family, throwing Aurora's insecurities into stark relief. Aurora is a likably quirky first-person narrator in this moving exploration of family, love, and forgiveness.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2019

(2) 4-6 Used to being the top student, fifth grader Ravi ("fresh off the boat" from Bangalore) is furious when he's sent to the resource room with Joe (whose auditory processing disorder makes school challenging). Determined to prove his superiority, Ravi befriends bully Dillon, while Joe hopes to get through the day without humiliation at Dillon's hands. Short chapters alternate between Joe's and Ravi's distinctive, engaging voices. Glos.

Reviewer: Sarah Rettger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2016

(3) K-3 Illustrated by David Small. Classy cat Glamourpuss, who lives with the "gazillionaire" Highhorsens, is royally upstaged when a guest arrives with her show-off dog, Bluebelle. But when Glamourpuss discovers that Bluebelle hates doing her show-pony act, the cat helps her find her true (Glamourpuss-like) identity. Like its art (don't miss Bluebelle in her Carmen Miranda getup), the story is funny.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 Melody falsely interprets a rumor and fears her single dad may secretly be dating her least favorite teacher. Melody's investigation reveals his girlfriend's identity, but, more importantly, Melody learns about her mother, who died in childbirth. With a sprinkling of explanatory proverbs and idioms, a cast of amicable characters, and a happy reunion, Honey is a sweet affirmation of family and friendship.

Reviewer: Sophie Williamson

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Jane Manning. Mac persuades his crotchety pal Cheese to go on a trip to the beach, but they become so distracted with packing that they miss their bus. To ease Mac's disappointment, Cheese finds a way to bring the sea to them. The bouncy rhymes carrying the story along have a hint of Dr. Seuss; comical illustrations clearly express the cats' differing temperaments.

Reviewer: Julie Bartynski

(3) 4-6 Alice's beloved Aunt Polly dies, leaving her award-winning pie crust recipe to her cat, Lardo. When Lardo, a pie, and a key disappear, Alice decides to investigate. Her active imagination propels this small-town 1955-set mystery, resulting in an appreciation for family and friends. A slew of recipes calling for premade crusts--not one for the hyped pie dough--are included.

Reviewer: Sophie Williamson

(3) 4-6 Verbena recently learned that she was adopted--and that her birth father is a criminal. She has also lost her best friend, and is feeling moody and unsettled. Things start to change when a boy named Pooch moves into the neighborhood--and he thinks Verbena's a ghost. Weeks's characters are well rounded and her story line is engaging.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Jane Manning. Perky feline Macaroni asks his "grumpy grump" friend Cheese why he won't "pounce or bounce or jump." Cheese explains that he'd rather they sit quietly together, doing nothing. This enjoyable tale of friendship and differences, winningly illustrated, boasts a rhyming text reminiscent in both tone and content of classic I Can Read Book titles.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Holly Berry. A dog falls head-over-heels for a cat, but the message is lost in translation; cats don't understand "woof." Once the dog expresses his feelings through the universal language of music, the cat is instantly smitten. Playful verse and bright, cleverly composed illustrations capture the emotional ups and downs of this unlikely couple and their quirky yet endearing love story.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Robert Neubecker. For freshly minted older siblings, this tongue-in-cheek diatribe offers comic relief and sage advice. Sophie Peterman, veteran big sister, doesn't mince words: "Babies are...YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE!" Neubecker's bold and friendly cartoonlike illustrations are a good match for Sophie's strong personality and enhance the humor in her impassioned narrative. Fellow new-sibling survivors will feel a kinship with this tell-it-like-it-is reporter.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2010

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Elwood H. Smith. Catfish Kate's all-girl band is disturbing Skink and his Skunktail Boys, who are trying to read. So begins a swamp war ultimately squelched by Kate's clever thinking. Young readers will get a kick out of this lesson in conflict resolution (Skink: "What's a compromise?"), while older kids may observe a gender war peacefully quelled. The art features pint-sized characters with jumbo personalities.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Doug Holgate. In his second book, good-natured and dorky (he crochets his own shoelaces and bites cheese into different shapes) fourth grader Oggie winds up at odds with the mean girls. Best friend Amy helps Oggie outsmart snooty Donnica Perfecto, although, ever clueless, Oggie doesn't realize he's been ostracized. This light, entertaining story is illustrated with funny gray-scale cartoon drawings.

Reviewer: Betty Carter

(3) PS Illustrated by Sam Williams. "Drip-drop rainy day. / Bunny can't go out to play. / Waiting for the sunny sun, / time to have some... / Bunny fun!" Bunny and his mouse friend find several playful--albeit messy--ways to entertain themselves indoors. The pleasing text bounces alongside jovial illustrations showing the carefree friends cavorting "in Mama's shoes" and making paper dolls from "Papa's news."

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) 4-6 Oddball fourth-grader Oggie Cooder is a talented "charver" who can bite cheese into myriad shapes. Oggie is thrilled when a TV show looking for quirky acts picks him, but excitement quickly turns to stress for the emerging star when Oggie's Hollywood-obsessed ten-year-old, self-appointed manager, Donnica Perfecto, tries to guide him. Funny gray-scale cartoons help bolster this entertaining, swift read.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(2) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Jane Manning. Mouse Pip (Drip, Drop) cleans the house in preparation for his friend's visit. The unforced patterned rhyme creates syntactic support and emphasizes repeated internal vowel and ending consonant sounds. There's also plot, characterization, and theme, plus a small concluding surprise. While housecleaning may be a dirty business, the lively pacing and bright primary colors indicate that something jaunty is going on.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2007

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Doug Cushman. Four-year-old Ella is a pig with a knack for solving problems, but she finds herself causing them after receiving a pretty umbrella decorated with clouds as a birthday gift. Brokenhearted that she can't bring the umbrella to her dance recital, Ella uses her inventiveness to solve the dilemma. Cushman's large, bold acrylics deftly express Ella's energetic and clever personality.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(3) PS Illustrated by David Diaz. A child can't sleep for the sound of the clock ticking and tap dripping, so he counts sheep--in English and Spanish--from one to ten. The text is simple and suitably repetitive: "Una oveja blanca. / One white sheep. / ¡Adiós, oveja blanca! / Good-bye, white sheep!" Diaz's dreamy acrylic and pencil paintings create a gentle mood.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) PS Illustrated by Holly Berry. A pig's story-length celebration of herself and her kind has its moments ("I can oink at the moon, / I can wallow in the mud, / I can grin like a goon / as I gobble down a spud"), but one leaves the book wondering what the point was. Still, the ebullient illustrations of a multifaceted porcine entertainer merit applause.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) PS Illustrated by Ed Briant. Since "Baby brother Joe needs a nap, nap, nap," his resentful big sister can't go to the parade. The paper-construction pictures tell most of the story, while the words provide rhyming embellishment. The girl creates her own parade out of construction paper, then falls asleep and dreams her parade into life. The layers and synergies within these pages will keep repeat performances fresh and lively.

Reviewer: Lolly Robinson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2004

(1) 4-6 Twelve-year-old Heidi It and her severely mentally disabled mother survive through a combination of good luck and their next-door neighbor's loving attention. An undeveloped roll of old film leads Heidi to embark alone on a risky cross-country quest to answer questions about Mama's past. Narrator Heidi's realistic voice lends authenticity to her unusual circumstances.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2004