(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Rob Shepperson. Frost (When My Sister Started Kissing, rev. 3/17; Applesauce Weather) begins this character-driven early chapter book with a familiar literary device: a stranger (this time a friendly dog) comes to town (a generic suburbia). Two self-proclaimed nice kids, Sam and Katie, alternately narrate the story; his account is in verse, hers in prose. The two initially vie with each other for the pup's attention but unite when the Tracy twins--the "meanest kids in the whole world"--take a liking to the dog and try to steal her affection. Impulsively, Katie and Sam paint a blue daisy on the dog, providing her with a convenient name but also temporarily branding her. The two children grapple with their actions: who are the mean kids now? The book contains several scaffolds for readers just moving into longer works. Quatrains preview each of three sections, while a fourth serves as an epilogue and succinctly closes the novel. Sam's three-line stanzas provide a nice structure for the text, and sixteen full-page black-and-white illustrations present a visual representation of the characters and highlight main points in the story. Dialogue is represented in italics rather than within quotation marks, a departure from standard narratives but not one that should hinder comprehension. An author's note explains these conventions; recipes for snickerdoodles and dog biscuits, both of which figure in the story, complete the book.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2020

(2) 1-3 Franklin School Friends series. Illustrated by Rob Shepperson. This fifth entry in the series focuses on third grader Cody, who loves animals as passionately as he hates school. Cody's troubles--with homework, with best friend Tobit, and with a scheme to get all his animals into the school's first-ever pet show--are presented sympathetically by Mills, who portrays elementary-school friendship drama with a skillful hand. The lighthearted illustrations help readers envision the story.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2016

(2) 1-3 Franklin School Friends series. Illustrated by Rob Shepperson. This third installment focuses on Izzy Barr, the fastest runner in the third grade--until classmate Skipper beats her. Izzy desperately wants to beat her rival, first at school field day and then at the citywide 10K. Mills presents and resolves problems in a winning story; Shepperson's depiction of Izzy as African American adds welcome diversity to this group of friends.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2015

(3) 1-3 Franklin School Friends series. Illustrated by Rob Shepperson. Third grader Simon's tendency to win everything is getting on his best friend Jackson's nerves. And the tension increases when they wind up on the same team for the spelling bee. In this fourth installment, Mills once again deftly promotes teamwork and the celebration of everyone's unique skills in a story that feels genuine rather than didactic. Shepperson's halftone illustrations capture key moments.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(2) 1-3 Franklin School Friends series. Illustrated by Rob Shepperson. If Annika Riz is going to win the citywide sudoku contest, she'll have to out-sudoku third-grade classmate Simon (from Kelsey Green, Reading Queen). The school carnival is also coming up, and friends Annika, Kelsey, and Izzy fail (three times) at baking cookies for it. Mills has her characters struggle with right and wrong behavior, as Annika accepts that simply trying can be worthwhile.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2014

(2) 1-3 Franklin School Friends series. Illustrated by Rob Shepperson. Kelsey might be the reading queen of her third-grade class, but her throne is threatened when the principal announces a school-wide reading challenge. First in a new series, the chapter book explores Mills's favorite subject--everyday life with a side of ethical examination--to good effect as Kelsey discovers the difference between loving to read and loving to win.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2013

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Rob Shepperson. Aiden McDoodle just wants to take a nap, but he's plagued by noise everywhere he goes. The rhyming text has some problems with cadence, but the need for peace and quiet in a frenetic world will be relatable to some children. The comic illustrations add energy and are perfect for readers who might consider themselves too old for a book about naps.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Rob Shepperson. With a mix of words and pictures à la Selznick's Invention of Hugo Cabret, the book follows heartbroken Hope as she searches for her little sister, abandoned by their neglectful parents. Although the premise is gripping (and the bookmaking gorgeous), the story reads a bit like imitation Dahl, and begins to bog down as it becomes both more fantastic and more didactic.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Rob Shepperson. When her scientist parents take off for the Shipwrecked Islands to study the elusive frangipani fruit fly, ten-year-old worrywart Lilly stays behind with her eccentric great-uncle. With her parents feared lost at sea, Lilly finds herself reluctantly joining forces with her lady-pirate neighbor to save them. Their ocean adventure, shown from many angles in humorous black-and-white illustrations, is action-packed and satisfying.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Rob Shepperson. "My gerbil can't go, / but I need a pet. / My parents don't know of my spider yet." Light, energetic verse and spirited black-and-white illustrations capture the character of one little boy and the dynamic of a whole family as they make their way to the beach for vacation. The short poems form a complete story arc but can also each stand alone.

Reviewer: Rebecca Hachmyer

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Rob Shepperson. This sequel to The Big House finds Ivy and little brother Ray heading out on a summer road trip to Florida with their dubiously reformed swindler parents; their father plans to present a recently discovered, possibly fake ruby to a distant relative. Though slow to get going, the good-natured mystery has plenty of puzzling elements for readers to sort through.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Rob Shepperson. This fanciful collection of poems describes bugs of all kinds--from a gnat with a sword who tries to fight a bat (and loses) to a praying mantis whose prayers are answered when lunch comes along. The short, silly poems include several for two voices and are accompanied by creepy-crawly line drawings.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Rob Shepperson. Affable wit and infectious cadence bring fresh energy to traditional yuletide images. Employing a variety of poetic forms, Lewis limits himself to fairly simple rhyme schemes but keeps things lively with generous dollops of enjambment. Each poem is a study in expressing content through form. Shepperson's brightly shaded, borderline cartoony illustrations balance humor with warmth.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2007

(4) 4-6 Don't Know Much About series. Illustrated by Rob Shepperson. A question-and-answer approach is used in these books about two Americans, taking the reader from their subjects' early lives through adulthood. In addition to the accomplishments of each and the effect they had on American history, Davis includes little-known details of their lives. The cluttered format includes sidebars, drawings and archival photographs. Timeline. Bib., ind. Review covers these Don't Know Much About titles: Don't Know Much about Rosa Parks and Don't Know Much about Thomas Jefferson.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Rob Shepperson. While their parents begin a twenty-five-year sentence for embezzling from a children's charity, Ivy and Ray try to make the best of their comically gloomy situation when they are ordered by the judge to live with the charity's highly unpleasant founders. The arch gothic mystery is illustrated with inviting black-and-white art.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2005

(4) 4-6 Don't Know Much About series. Illustrated by Rob Shepperson. Basic information about Lincoln's life, his presidency, and the Civil War is related in an accessible if somewhat forced question-and-answer format ("What was the Fugitive Slave Act?"; "What tragedy befell the Lincolns in 1862?"); sidebars contain supplemental information. The book features historical reproductions and black-and-white illustrations. Reading list, timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Rob Shepperson. Hill effectively sets up the conflict between Ben and know-it-all new kid Elliot against the background of a hot, dry Fourth of July; the inevitable fireworks are both figurative and literal. This short novel is a bit formulaic, but the story and characters are well focused, the setting is evoked clearly but economically, and the resolution is realistic but satisfying.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2004

(4) 4-6 Don't Know Much About series. Illustrated by Rob Shepperson. A contrived question-and-answer format provides information about Washington's life ("What was George like as a young man?"), the Revolutionary era ("What the heck was a Hessian?"), and American history ("What was the Sedition Act?"). Supplemented by information boxes, reproductions, and cartoony art, the book will attract browsers despite its choppy style and hit-and-miss humor. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta