(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Bartleby Huddle has never uttered a word, a source of concern to his boisterous family. The clamor to get Bartleby to speak reaches a fever pitch at his third birthday--where Grampy Huddle, attuned to life's quieter pleasures, comes in. Hawkes's riotous illustrations extend Cruise's lively text, portraying the high-decibel Huddles as being similarly loud in appearance as they are in volume.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2009

(4) PS Illustrated by Margaret Chodos-Irvine. "When the sky glows / peachy-rose at dawn... / I love the way / you stretch and yawn." These verses extol the love parents (or other caretakers) feel for their children. Pleasing compositions, rendered using a variety of printmaking techniques, show adults and youngsters interacting throughout the day. The text will appeal mostly to grownups, but the spacious illustrations could well snag kids' attention.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) 4-6 In this continuation of The Top-Secret Journal of Fiona Claire Jardin, Fiona writes about her divorced parents' love lives, her own secret admirer, troubles with her friends, and other incidents at school and home. Readers will relate to her trepidation about approaching puberty, her insecurities (one of her classmates says she looks like a woodchuck), and her new insights about family and friendship.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) 4-6 Ten-year-old Fiona Clare thinks that keeping a journal is dumb, but she writes in it several times a week at the insistence of her mother and therapist, who think it will help Fiona cope with her parents' divorce. Fiona's funny and honest journalizing chronicle her thoughts and feelings over the course of a year, as well as her discovery that no matter what happens, and even if things aren't the same, she still has a familiy.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.