(3) 1-3 Miranda and Maude series. Illustrated by Jessika Von Innerebner. Princess Miranda is clean, organized, and into fancy shoes; chicken-raising, social-justice activist Maude is the complete opposite. Natural differences and misunderstandings make these third graders instant enemies, but after both girls show their empathy, a unique friendship develops. Wunsch tells this series-starting tale of unlikely friendship with plenty of humor and imagination, and the illustrations capture the girls' vastly different worlds with lively detail.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(4) 1-3 Calico Kid: Pirate Kids series. Illustrated by Jessika von Innerebner. Piper and Percy learn to work together, get excited about a new pet, overcome fears, and help each other after a rough school day in these banal, everyday sibling stories with a swashbuckling twist. Told in simple language (with lots of pirate lingo) and heavily illustrated, this transitional-reader series could be a decent nudge to help pirate-loving kids dive into independent chapter-book reading. Review covers these Calico Kid: Pirate Kids titles: A Bad Day At Pirate School, The Great Treasure Hunt, A Spooky Day at Sea, and The Very Quiet Parrot.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) 1-3 Calico Kid: Pirate Kids series. Illustrated by Jessika von Innerebner. Piper and Percy learn to work together, get excited about a new pet, overcome fears, and help each other after a rough school day in these banal, everyday sibling stories with a swashbuckling twist. Told in simple language (with lots of pirate lingo) and heavily illustrated, this transitional-reader series could be a decent nudge to help pirate-loving kids dive into independent chapter-book reading. Review covers these Calico Kid: Pirate Kids titles: A Bad Day At Pirate School, The Great Treasure Hunt, A Spooky Day at Sea, and The Very Quiet Parrot.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) 1-3 Calico Kid: Pirate Kids series. Illustrated by Jessika von Innerebner. Piper and Percy learn to work together, get excited about a new pet, overcome fears, and help each other after a rough school day in these banal, everyday sibling stories with a swashbuckling twist. Told in simple language (with lots of pirate lingo) and heavily illustrated, this transitional-reader series could be a decent nudge to help pirate-loving kids dive into independent chapter-book reading. Review covers these Calico Kid: Pirate Kids titles: A Bad Day At Pirate School, The Great Treasure Hunt, A Spooky Day at Sea, and The Very Quiet Parrot.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) 1-3 Calico Kid: Pirate Kids series. Illustrated by Jessika von Innerebner. Piper and Percy learn to work together, get excited about a new pet, overcome fears, and help each other after a rough school day in these banal, everyday sibling stories with a swashbuckling twist. Told in simple language (with lots of pirate lingo) and heavily illustrated, this transitional-reader series could be a decent nudge to help pirate-loving kids dive into independent chapter-book reading. Review covers these Calico Kid: Pirate Kids titles: A Bad Day At Pirate School, The Great Treasure Hunt, A Spooky Day at Sea, and The Very Quiet Parrot.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) 1-3 Ellie Ultra series. Illustrated by Jessika von Innerebner. Formerly homeschooled third grader Ellie Ultra tries to balance her superhero identity with her desire to fit in at her new public school for regular citizens. Brown-skinned Ellie and her diverse group of classmates are welcome contributions to the genre of superhero chapter books, but the stilted writing lessens the series' appeal. Discussion guide and writing prompts are included. Glos. Review covers the following Ellie Ultra titles: An Extra-Ordinary Girl and Queen of the Spelling Bee.

Reviewer: Kazia Berkley-Cramer

(4) 1-3 Ellie Ultra series. Illustrated by Jessika von Innerebner. Formerly homeschooled third grader Ellie Ultra tries to balance her superhero identity with her desire to fit in at her new public school for regular citizens. Brown-skinned Ellie and her diverse group of classmates are welcome contributions to the genre of superhero chapter books, but the stilted writing lessens the series' appeal. Discussion guide and writing prompts are included. Glos. Review covers the following Ellie Ultra titles: An Extra-Ordinary Girl and Queen of the Spelling Bee.

Reviewer: Kazia Berkley-Cramer