(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Kevin Cornell. It's summer in Yawnee Valley, and Miles and Niles (The Terrible Two; The Terrible Two Get Worse) intend to enjoy every minute of it in their secret hideout. But bully Josh Barkin doesn't think it's funny when Miles and Niles steal his summer camp flag, and a comic battle ensues. Underneath the hilarity of the exaggerated characters and cartoon drawings is a sweet message about friendship.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) 4-6 Soren Skaar never thought he'd retire from being the best prankster in Camelot, Minnesota--until his best friend/partner-in-crime moved away. Now, Soren is stuck spending sixth grade with his well-behaved, green tea–drinking hipster cousin, Flynn, who's visiting from Brooklyn for the year. An irrepressible little brother and an irascible rooster play into this lively comedy about a prankster learning to take life a little more seriously.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler. When kindhearted second-grader Ellie May tries to distinguish herself, her less-than-optimal impulse control frequently causes her to misstep. In these first two entries, her quest for the funniest April Fool's joke misfires, as do her attempts to act presidential. Numerous grayscale illustrations highlight the diverse cast of characters, while subtle life lessons and Ellie May's antics should appeal to Clementine fans. Review covers these titles: Ellie May on April Fools' Day and Ellie May on Presidents' Day.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(3) 4-6 Luna Ramos's many primas (cousins) annoy her, but especially prissy Claudia. When she locks Claudia in a bathroom at a family quinceañera, Luna is banned from wearing hats, which she uses to cover an embarrassing white patch in her hair. To make matters worse, Claudia is transferring to Luna's school. The accessible, relatable, and humorous story relays messages of loyalty and self-acceptance.

Reviewer: Katie Darrin

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Guy Francis. A bear awakes to a knock at his door. "'Who's there?' 'Justin.' 'Justin who?' / 'Justin the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by!'" says a fox--the first of many uninvited guests who "KNOCK KNOCK" their way in. Finally, both bear and reader realize that everyone has arrived for a pre-hibernation party. The art is charmlessly cartoonish, but the jokes deliciously corny.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) YA Teenager Moses is court-mandated to work at a camp in Michigan after a prank he pulled with his cousin, Charlie, ended in tragedy. Moses's affection for a camper and friendship with the other counselors help him confront his grief and anger; flashbacks describe his conflicted relationship with Charlie. This debut features sharp and insightful writing and a protagonist who's difficult to forget.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Aurélie Grand. In this chapter-book graphic novel, Jay hopes to find Bigfoot on the Junior Ranger campout, even though his troopmates tease him for believing. Meanwhile, Sass, a female Sasquatch adopted by bears who forbid her to go near humans, anonymously pranks (somewhat dim-witted) Jay until a brief but meaningful encounter. The humor is amusing, and the visual storytelling is accessible to young readers.

Reviewer: Jessica Costello

(3) K-3 Katie Woo's Joke Books series. Illustrated by Tammie Lyon. Characters from Fran Manushkin's Katie Woo early chapter books appear in these volumes of mostly wordplay-based jokes. They include plenty of old groaners that will likely still be new to primary-aged budding comedians; it is also well suited to emerging readers, with copious (sometimes boldly colored) background space amid the cheery illustrations. "How to Tell a Joke" tips are appended.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) K-3 Katie Woo's Joke Books series. Illustrated by Tammie Lyon. Characters from Fran Manushkin's Katie Woo early chapter books appear in these volumes of mostly wordplay-based jokes. They include plenty of old groaners that will likely still be new to primary-aged budding comedians; it is also well suited to emerging readers, with copious (sometimes boldly colored) background space amid the cheery illustrations. "How to Tell a Joke" tips are appended.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jon Klassen. Triangle leaves his triangle-shaped house via his triangle-shaped door, off to "play a sneaky trick on Square." But thanks to geometry, Square gets the last laugh. Fans of this author-illustrator team will recognize elements such as sumptuous textures and expressive eyes, not to mention a pesky antihero and a chase scene that goes in one direction, then back--plus an open, ambiguous ending.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2017

(3) 4-6 Best friends Izzy and Mackenzie are in separate cabins at their new summer camp, which strains their relationship. Narrator Izzy tells a lie to the popular clique to help her cabin's prank war against the boys. This novel has well-drawn characters and a vivid setting, and over-the-top pranks add humor and action. Izzy demonstrates considerable growth and remains a likable character despite her many bad decisions.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(4) K-3 Two previously published Laugh-Out-Loud books (Awesome Jokes for Kids and Road Trip Jokes for Kids) are presented in one paper-over-board volume. The knock-knock and question-and-answer jokes are full of corny puns ("Q: When is a wig expensive? A: When you have toupee"), but young comedians should find some material here. Road Trip includes pages with backseat activities such as mazes, hangman, and tic-tac-toe.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alice Brereton. Two older bunnies prank their younger brother with tales of a terrifying monster named Frankenbunny, but they get their comeuppance when little bro flips their "dirty, rotten plan" on them. Esbaum's expressive text, with clever second-person narration, works alongside Brereton's mostly black-and-gray illustrations for mild, good-natured creepiness; shadowy and pitch-black scenes encourage young readers to be brave even in the dark.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Serge Bloch. In this comic-hybrid fictional memoir, Toby regularly aggravates his parents and other adults with his literal responses to questions and comments. While the frenetic narrative, with meandering introductions to the people in Toby's life, is mostly a vehicle for clever wordplay and smart-alecky jokes, second and third graders will eat this up. Bloch's childlike cartoons further the book's appeal.

Reviewer: Ed Spicer

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Daryll Colins. Each slim volume offers seven chapters of simple sports-related jokes, loosely organized by theme ("Punny Pitchers"; "Rowdy Refs"). There are occasional laugh-out-loud moments among the many groaners throughout the jokes themselves, the cartoony illustrations, and the cornily captioned photos of on-field action. The same "Joke Dictionary" and "How to Tell Jokes" section ("Don't laugh at your own joke") is appended in each volume. Review covers these titles: Sports Illustrated Kids Baseball Jokes and Sports Illustrated Kids Football Jokes.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Daryll Colins. Each slim volume offers seven chapters of simple sports-related jokes, loosely organized by theme ("Punny Pitchers"; "Rowdy Refs"). There are occasional laugh-out-loud moments among the many groaners throughout the jokes themselves, the cartoony illustrations, and the cornily captioned photos of on-field action. The same "Joke Dictionary" and "How to Tell Jokes" section ("Don't laugh at your own joke") is appended in each volume. Review covers these titles: Sports Illustrated Kids Baseball Jokes and Sports Illustrated Kids Football Jokes.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Big Buddy Jokes series. These mildly funny books will get children practicing their reading while trying out the jokes and riddles on others. Each volume contains clearly delineated questions and answers, with related spot illustrations amid plentiful white space. Some examples may be confusing ("What did Caesar say to Cleopatra?" / "Toga-ther we can rule the world!"), but puns such as "Water we waiting for?" are giggle-worthy. There are four other spring 2017 books in this series. Review covers these Big Buddy Jokes titles: Knock Knock Jokes, Ridiculous Riddles, School Jokes, and Animal Jokes.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) 1-3 Judy Moody and Friends series. Illustrated by Erwin Madrid. On April Fools' Day (also Judy Moody's birthday!), third grader Judy wants to fool her favorite teacher, and a stick insect gives her the perfect idea. When a fifth grader says "there's no such thing as the Tooth Fairy," Judy sets out to prove otherwise. As usual, the full-color illustrations pop and the series' characters shine in these transitional-reader spinoffs of the longer chapter books. Review covers these Judy Moody and Friends titles: April Fools', Mr. Todd! and Judy Moody, Tooth Fairy.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) K-3 Big Buddy Jokes series. These mildly funny books will get children practicing their reading while trying out the jokes and riddles on others. Each volume contains clearly delineated questions and answers, with related spot illustrations amid plentiful white space. Some examples may be confusing ("What did Caesar say to Cleopatra?" / "Toga-ther we can rule the world!"), but puns such as "Water we waiting for?" are giggle-worthy. There are four other spring 2017 books in this series. Review covers these Big Buddy Jokes titles: Knock Knock Jokes, Ridiculous Riddles, School Jokes, and Animal Jokes.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) 4-6 Jimmy Murphy, the worst sixth grader at his 1950s Catholic elementary school, is the target of humiliation by a new teacher, Sister Angelica Rose--so much so that he enlists his friends in a revenge prank against her that could be dangerous. Fear not: there's a happy ending. Though occasionally quite funny, there's scant historical detail to anchor the semi-autobiographical story.

Reviewer: David Elzey