(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Ben Hatke. Martin and Parnell’s expansions on Betty MacDonald’s Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books eschew the codified gender roles of the 1950s and feature a youthful Piggle-Wiggle niece, Missy. Otherwise, they follow the formula of magical cures for various bad behavior: in this third installment it's selfishness and kleptomania. Though far from original, the story should amuse modern children almost as much as the older books captivated their grandparents. Illustrated with Hatke's playful full-page sketches.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) 4-6 Missy Piggle-Wiggle Book series. Illustrated by Ben Hatke. Readers who've loved Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's problem-solving magic may enjoy Martin and Parnell's imitations of the classic books; successful carry-overs include preposterous names, a genial tone, and accessibility. And in this volume, a suggestion of romance in the life of Mrs. P-W's great-niece Missy adds to Betty MacDonald's time-tested recipe for success. Hatke's playful full-page sketches break up the text.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Ben Hatke. Beloved character Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle deputizes her great-niece, Missy Piggle-Wiggle, to look after her pets and upside-down house in her absence. In a fresh set of vignettes, Missy, like her great-aunt, helps cure faults of the townspeople's children using kindness, firmness, and magic. Martin and Parnell channel original author Betty MacDonald in humor, genial tone, and accessibility, complemented nicely by Hatke's occasional, playful full-page sketches.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Ben Hatke. If Ellis can train a woolly worm to finish first in the town's Worm Festival Race, the prize money would enable his dad to get surgery he needs, and Ellis would swap his reputation as class clown for a more serious one. In this light novel, Ellis's character rings true, and Hicks unobtrusively includes classroom-friendly features, such as information about metamorphosis.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2013