(4) K-3 Illustrated by Penny Weber. When Ava's parents tell her she can't go on a snowboarding trip because money is too tight, Ava sulks for a while but then comes up with an imaginative project: building a model ski basin in her room. Though the plot is rather purposeful, the spare, unobtrusive text and realistically drawn illustrations of a multiethnic family make for a quick, pleasant read.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Penny Weber. This well-intentioned, bibliotherapeutic book reassures kids of divorced parents that there are still special things about time spent with each parent. While the outlook is rosy overall, the text honestly acknowledges feelings of being scared or missing the absent parent. The awkwardly rendered illustrations can be confusing to interpret, though they admirably feature a multicultural cast of characters (including biracial families).

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Penny Weber. Frustrated that her parents and older siblings are constantly preoccupied with their phones, video games, and computers, Ella stages a mild protest that forces her family to re-think things; they institute electronics-free Saturday mornings and Sunday nights. Occasionally awkward but cheery illustrations accompany the didactic, simplistic story, which will resonate with readers nonetheless.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Penny Weber. New student Roberta is bounced from social group to social group whenever it's discovered that one of her traits (her hairstyle, her love of playgrounds) diverges from the clique's. Readers will register Moss's sober critique of conformity as they cheer Roberta's self-awareness. Weber's art isn't polished, but she has a knack for capturing Roberta's reactions.

Reviewer: Nell Beram