(3) K-3 That's Our School series. Illustrated by Peter Linenthal. Photographs by Peter Linenthal. Ostensibly narrated by a student, these books focus on professionals in elementary schools. Vivid photographs of school personnel on the job and at home support the concise and informative text. Each book includes suggested "things to do," such as interviewing a teacher or inviting a custodian to join the class on an outing. [Review covers these That's Our School titles: That's Our Custodian!, That's Our Gym Teacher!, That's Our Librarian!, That's Our Nurse!, That's Our Principal!, and That's Our Teacher!.]

Reviewer: Karyn Ginsburg

(4) 4-6 Teased because his father is the school janitor, fifth-grader Jack Rankin smears a giant wad of gum under his desktop, knowing Dad will have to clean it up. Instead, Jack is caught and sentenced to after-school custodial work. The novel, by the author of the popular Frindle, is resolved too easily when the priggish protagonist discovers a secret that elevates Dad to hero status.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2000