(3) K-3 Illustrated by Andy Rash. "Once upon a refrigerator, the letters of the alphabet gathered together to tell a story." Thus begins a quarrel between K and C--each sure the other has stolen its sound--that threatens to make storytelling impossible ("There wouldn't be any SMOCKS or BLOCKS! No STICKS or LICKS!"). The silly plot effectively highlights several consonant sound combinations, which illustrations of letter magnets on a fridge reinforce.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Andy Rash. When talented gamer Pete Watson sells a dated video-game console to get cash for the newest Brawl-A-Thon release, he unknowingly gets his father kidnapped and puts United States security at risk. With rapid-fire plot twists, slapstick comedy, and interactive illustrations complete with an "eight-bit" Pete animated through the page turns, this light read champions video-game history and skills.

Reviewer: Julie Roach

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Andy Rash. Certain that Charlie, who transformed into a mutant dinosaur in The Creature from the Seventh Grade: Boy or Beast, is guilty of a series of food-related robberies, Principal Muchnick forces him to join the swim team as a character-building effort. Innocent--and deathly fearful of swimming--Charlie and his friends set out to find the real culprit in this quirky and humorous sequel.

Reviewer: Randy Ribay

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Andy Rash. A new fish starts school and is soon ruling the class, handing out nicknames, bossing others around, and hogging all the dress-up clothes. When the showy newcomer starts an exclusive club, Ernest, the kind and thoughtful sea monster, starts one of his own that includes everyone. The lesson is prescriptive, but aquatic puns punctuating boldly colored illustrations will draw in audiences.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Andy Rash. When Charlie randomly turns into a giant dinosaur-like creature during school, he instantly becomes a local celebrity. Though he initially enjoys the popularity, Charlie's rise in the social strata soon taxes his relationships with his friends and with his brother. Even though Charlie's voice is energetic and silly, it is disappointing that the fantastical transformation merely leads to a familiar cautionary tale.

Reviewer: Randy Ribay

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Andy Rash. It's not easy for Ernest the sea monster to fit in at school since he's so much bigger than the other fish-students. He keeps a positive attitude and makes a few pals; a seaside amusement park then gives him an idea for how to really wow the crowd. The story's humor and watery blue- and green-tinged illustrations have appeal.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Andy Rash. Leonard can't wait to start superhero school. He's quickly dismayed to find that it's all about learning mathematics. After Ice Zombies kidnap his teachers, though, Leonard and his classmates discover that they will need to apply their math skills in order to save the day. Illustrations in digital collage of gouache and Sharpie match the story's comic-style sensibility.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Andy Rash. Ralph and Sylvia Nebula plan to spend the summer at Deepdip Cha-cha's Fun Ashram for Kids, until they discover it's just another fat camp in disguise. The siblings run away, joining their friend Mavis Goldfarb at a dude ranch, where the trio helps prop up the local economy with a flying saucer visitation. Lacking the emphatic "fat prejudice" focus of Fat Camp Commandos, this sequel is still an enjoyably silly romp.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Andy Rash. Sent to fat camp by their parents, plus-sized siblings Ralph and Sylvia balk at Camp Noo Yoo's compulsory aerobics, Creative Abuse and Motivation classes, and skimpy meals. Along with another recalcitrant camper, they run away and spend the summer waging a "psychological war" against fat prejudice. This very funny book offers thought-provoking social commentary and an overt message of tolerance and self-acceptance.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2001