(4) 4-6 In 1905, when public library service in the U.S. was young, Mary Lemist Titcomb set out to serve all corners of Washington County, Maryland, by loading up a horse-drawn wagon and making the rounds. Glenn provides a basic biography of Titcomb and recounts the success of her invention. Many photographs and ephemera in a stylish scrapbook design lend interest to a rather dry text. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Amiko Hirao. Every day, Abby dresses up in a different costume--pirate, detective, and cowgirl, among other guises--before finally settling on being herself on Sunday. Mama finds a positive way to channel Abby's creative talents (e.g., asking the detective Abby to search for missing socks in the laundry). Cut-paper collage illustrations depict anthropomorphic canines going about their day in this warm-hearted tale.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Dan Andreasen. When Gracie was little, her mentally retarded aunt, Roo, was her best friend. When Roo embarrasses the now older Gracie in front of a school friend, Gracie must make a tough choice. Andreasen's pastel-colored illustrations capturing a 1950s farm setting are a perfect match for the detail-driven text, which never spells out the moving and ambitious themes of the story.

Reviewer: Nell Beram